World Elder Abuse Awareness Day shines spotlight

Elder Abuse Awareness Day shines spotlight on hidden scourge

What is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day?

Each year, hundreds of thousands of older persons are abused, neglected, and exploited. In addition, elders throughout the United States lose an estimated $2.6 billion or more annually due to elder financial abuse and exploitation, funds that could have been used to pay for basic needs such as housing, food, and medical care. Unfortunately, no one is immune to abuse, neglect, and exploitation. It occurs in every demographic, and can happen to anyone—a family member, a neighbor, even you. Yet it is estimated that only about one in five of those crimes are ever discovered.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched on June 15, 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. The purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. In addition, WEAAD is in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action acknowledging the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue. WEAAD serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

http://www.aoa.acl.gov/AoA_Programs/Elder_Rights/EA_Prevention/weaad.aspx

"The term “elder abuse” applies, in general, to people age 65 or older, though it can happen to any vulnerable adult.

Elder abuse is not just physical attacks — hitting, slapping, bruising, burning with cigarettes — although all that happens.

It could entail emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, abandonment and self-neglect."

http://www.wiscnews.com/portagedailyregister/news/local/article_1256e149-4fc3-594f-ad3d-dc07b44abea2.html

"THIS AIN'T NO GAME SHOW!"