Elder Abuse The Role of Non-profit Organizations Prepared by: Alan K. Blake

Purpose This presentation will define the various types of abuse on the elderly population and will identify the efforts currently underway for reducing abuse on senior citizens. In the conclusion, areas will be identified where organizations (especially non-profits) are making advancements in educating the public in the protection of the elderly.

Seniors and Elderly defined Based on 2000 census data, seniors (over 55) comprise 11.9% of Gwinnett County’s population. The elderly (65 and over) consists of 5.4% of the community. Source:

Senior Population Data Age GroupNumber of Citizens , , , , ,848

What is Elder Abuse ? “The willful infliction of physical pain, physical injury, mental anguish, unreasonable confinement or the deprivation of essential services to a disabled adult or elder person.” Source: O.C.G.A (1)

Common Forms of Elder Abuse Neglect – dehydration, poor hygiene, confinement. Physical – assault, battery. Sexual – contact for the purpose of sexual gratification. Financial – unauthorized use of bank card, check forgery and theft of valuables.

Consider a sad example: An 84 year old woman has her apartment taken over by a group of gang members. The woman who suffered from dementia was provided regular visits by a city-contracted health care service. Following an investigation, police learned that the elderly woman’s apartment was being used as a drug house. To make matters worse, they learned the gang, drug dealers were even eating the elderly woman’s free senior meals as they were delivered to the residence. Obviously, there are many unanswered questions in this case, but the most profound issue is, the elderly woman had no idea where to turn to for help. And the caregiver was either ill-intended or well beyond simply ignorant of elder abuse issues. Source: “Mayor says elder abuse case reveals gaps in protections” June 30, 2005http://

Current Efforts for Protecting the Elderly Law Enforcement, prosecution of cases as reported and investigated. State Regulatory Services, facility inspection and enforcement of health standards. Atlanta Ombudsman Program, an elderly advocacy program representing senior citizens.

Impediments of Detecting Abuse Victim’s Pride- the victim’s desire of remaining self-sufficient. Often times the offender is a close family member or friend of the family. Therefore, the victim is reluctant to “cry-out.” The elder victim may have a fear of retaliation, especially if the offender is the caregiver.

The Key: Overcoming the Obstacle of Unreported Abuse Raise the awareness of Elderly Abuse within the community. Make the elderly more comfortable in reaching out for help. Educating (especially caregivers) on how to identify the warning signs of elder abuse. Enter the role of non-profit organizations. To educate seniors and caregivers on abuse awareness, and safe havens where they can turn for help.

AARP, Society on Aging, etc. Most people are familiar with the American Association of Retired Persons and the American Society on Aging. And needless to say, these (non-profit) organizations do a tremendous service for our senior population. However, in the remainder of this presentation, we will highlight some less known efforts that may prove useful in future application for non-profit organizations.

Collaboration & Communication Various organizations (i.e. AARP, Society on Aging) provide services to the senior population, and in some instances these services may overlap, such as legal assistance. However, there seems to be little collaboration between organizations. An area where organizations could find a mutual benefit is through increased communication and cooperation.

An example of cooperation between the public sector and non-profit organizations. The next few slides will highlight an example of the public sector offering a grant program to non-profit organizations focused at educating seniors, their caregivers and the general public on issues related to elderly abuse. Since this program is in the application phase, documenting results is not possible. However, considering education is key in preventing elder abuse, the expected outcome is promising.

Earlier this year, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan offered a total in $35,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations interested in the development and implementation of public awareness campaigns that focus on elder abuse. As a result, they have received applications from 18 organizations proposing various media or marketing vehicles. Here are three examples currently considered by the BCBS grant administrator: Source: and personal communication with Ms. Shoma Pal, Grant Administrator ofwww.thematuremarket.com Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

“Protecting Seniors” Sponsored by the local Council on Aging, they propose to prepare and send direct mailing of educational materials to homebound citizens. They also propose local newspaper advertisements.

“Project Protect” A nonprofit unit of the University of Detroit Mercy, requested grant consideration for the purpose of developing a self-study program (tool kit and video series) to assist in training the caregivers on recognizing elderly abuse.

Elderly abuse intervention awareness program Part of the Catherine Hunt Foundation Program, this proposal is to facilitate community meetings, and through the use of a mobile van make direct contact with seniors in their homes and in nursing home facilities.

One Last Example, The Hebrew Home An elderly man is living with his son, the father basically picks up cans to earn a few dollars to survive. The father’s Social Security check, you may wonder, it is pocketed every month by the son. Suddenly, the son decides he will be moving soon out of state, and the father is forced to a tough decision; go with the abusive son or end up homeless and growing old. Through a social worker, the elderly man learns about a place called The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale, a nonprofit, nonsectarian geriatric center. (New York) He is soon placed in the home, and two months later discharged, stronger, in better health and able to return to other family members. “A safe haven for elderly abuse victims” July 02, 2005 www.

A few thoughts to remember: Elder Abuse (Physical, Sexual or Financial) is a serious crime that often goes un-reported. While there are governmental agencies (i.e. Dept. of Human Resources & Law Enforcement) who protect the elderly, these efforts alone leave a significant short-fall in protecting our senior population. Non-profit organizations (i.e. AARP) currently play a significant role in serving the needs of seniors, however in the future new (smaller) non-profit groups will further assist in educating the public on how to reduce and prevent elderly abuse.

References Associated Press, (June 30, 2005). Mayor says elder abuse case reveals gaps in protections. Retrieved July 12, 2005, from Geraldine, B., ( July 02, 2005). A safe haven for elderly abuse victims. Retrieved July 12, 2005, from www. Official Code of Georgia Unnanotated. Retrieved July 10, 2005 from,