Close to Home: The key to preventing elder abuse: awareness

In 2015, reports of elder abuse in Sonoma County reached an all-time high of 5,176, a 13 percent increase from 2014 and a 110 percent increase from a decade earlier.

On the surface, these statistics are disheartening, but dig a little deeper and there may be a silver lining.

This rise in reports could be a result of increased awareness of what elder abuse is and how to report it, resulting in more victims receiving help. Increased reports also represent a measure of success for education and awareness efforts in recent years.

Ten years ago, the World Health Organization of the United Nations and the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse first named June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons. This effort also acknowledges the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.

As part of Sonoma County's observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, beginning in 2012, thousands of purple (the color for elder abuse awareness) lawn flags were prominently displayed to demonstrate the magnitude of the problem of elder abuse.

Each flag represents one report of elder abuse made in the previous year to Sonoma County Adult Protective Services and Senior Advocacy Services long-term care ombudsman. Each successive year, the number of flags increased and, hopefully with it, increased awareness.

To help these numbers hit closer to home, this year, senior centers countywide will display flags that represent the number of 2015 elder abuse reports in the local area or city they serve. However, just knowing there is a problem isn't enough.

Senior centers will also host free 90-minute presentations on how to prevent the crime of elder financial abuse. Offered by members of the Sonoma County Elder Protection Work Group and Financial Abuse Specialist Team, the presentations will provide information about avoiding scams and fraud, the importance of estate planning and recognizing abuse.

Presentations will be in Sonoma today, in Healdsburg and Petaluma on June 10, at the Russian River Senior Center on June 14, in Cloverdale and Rohnert Park on June 15 and in Windsor and Sebastopol on June 16.

Contact your local senior center for more information.

In addition, 'A little help from our friends,' a free educational community event for seniors, will be held at the Petaluma Community Center on June 14 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., hosted by the Petaluma Partners in Protection.

Elder abuse education and prevention is increasingly important as the senior population continues to grow.

In Sonoma County, residents age 60 and older account for 24 percent of the county's population, and today's seniors are living longer than previous generations. The number of Sonoma County seniors age 85 and older is projected to triple between 2010 and 2050.

Protecting this vulnerable segment of society is everyone's responsibility. The more we all know about elder abuse, the closer we are to the possibility of no elder abuse.

Please attend one of this month's presentations and learn how to identify elder abuse, prevent it and report it. No one is immune.

Please remember, if you suspect abuse or neglect of an elder or dependent adult in the community, report your concerns to Adult Protective Services at 565-5940 or 800-667-0404. If the suspected abuse or neglect is in a licensed facility, report to the long term care ombudsman at 707-526-4108 or 800-231-4024.

By learning how to protect yourself and others, you take us all one step closer to being a community where everyone can age with dignity, security and freedom from harm.

Jane Eckels and Gloria Eurotas are co-chairwomen of the Sonoma County Elder Protection Work Group, a collaborative of local nonprofit groups and government agencies. Both are residents of Santa Rosa.