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VOL.27, NO.6
Elder abuse often not reported
A safe haven “This is a very deep issue, both nationally and locally, and yet it’s decades behind in awareness. [It’s] where domestic abuse and sexual assault were before that,” said Tovah Kasdin, director of ElderSAFE, a nonsectarian program that opened last fall at the Charles E. Smith Life Communities in Rockville, Md. “For the average person, it’s inconceiv-
JUNE 2015
I N S I D E …
PHOTO BY VADYM GULIUK
By Barbara Ruben Not long ago, Arlington County Adult Protective Services received a call from friends of an older woman. They were concerned about her physical and mental decline, and about suspicious behavior associated with a woman she recently met at a restaurant. Investigators discovered the woman’s new companion had isolated her from her friends, and gained power of attorney in an attempt to sell the woman’s home and pocket the proceeds, as well as transfer funds from her bank accounts. Authorities were able to remove the woman from her abuser’s care and recoup her assets. But that story’s happy ending is an anomaly, said Reginald D. Lawson Jr., program manager of adult services/adult protective services for Arlington County. “This perfect ending doesn’t typically happen,” he said. “Many times, the most we can do is to stop the bleeding and protect from any further exploitation.” That was the case last month, when paramedics arrived at a home in Bethesda, Md., and discovered an 87-year-old woman with pressure sores so severe that her spine was exposed. Compression stockings were fused to her feet so tightly they had to be surgically removed. Police charged her 57-year-old son, who had run for Montgomery County Council in 2014 and with whom she lived, with two counts of felony abuse. Their house had no working toilets, mold, and hoarding that was considered a fire hazard. Across the Washington area and around the country, reports of elder abuse are on the rise. According to recent studies, for every case of physical abuse that’s documented, an estimated 23 go unreported. Similarly, it is believed only one out of every 44 cases of financial abuse is prosecuted.
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LIFETIMES 41 k News from the Charles E. Smith Life Communities ElderSAFE, a new program at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, provides shelter, as well as medical and social services, to victims of elder abuse. Shown here are KerryAnn Aleibar (left), case manager, and Tovah Kasdin, the program’s director. While reports of elder abuse — which includes physical, psychological and financial exploitation — are increasing, it still goes unreported in the vast majority of cases.
able that you would hurt your grandmother or grandfather or an older person, whom societally we have a respect for. I think it’s taken a long time for people to recognize this [kind of abuse] is actually happening and that it’s a real problem that needs specialized and dedicated resources.” ElderSAFE (which stands for Safety, Advocacy, Freedom from abuse and Education) provides safe, temporary shelter at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington — as well as counseling, medical services, case management, legal referrals and other assistance — to area older adults suffering from abuse. It is the first comprehensive program of its kind in the Washington region. Clients can stay from a few days to a few months without charge. Stays and servic-
es are paid for by grants and by funding from the Hebrew Home.
Abuse takes many forms Elder abuse can encompass a wide range of exploitation — from physical, sexual and psychological abuse and neglect, to financial exploitation, which is the misuse of an older adult’s money. Often, more than one kind of abuse is seen in a single case. “Perhaps the broadest category — and the most rampant — is psychological abuse. That is when you mistreat another person by putting them down and making them feel inferior,” Kasdin said. “You can do that in many ways: By calling See ELDER ABUSE, page 22
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