IN THE SHADOWS

The Elder Abuse Epidemic

By Estelle Rodis-Brown

Older adult maltreatment — elder abuse — holds its grip on society’s vulnerable adults with an uncomfortable frequency, hiding behind trusted relationships, isolation and illness.

This story is the first of a three-part series on elder abuse. We’ll define the issue with facts and numbers, introduce you to people who have overcome their abuse and faced their abusers, and, finally, offer an action plan for victims and families.

— Marie Elium, editor

Reality check: One of the most pervasive, traumatizing problems affecting older adults may not even be on your radar.

Elder abuse —also known as older adult maltreatment — is a problem of epidemic proportions, yet is dramatically under-reported. For every reported case, 24 go unreported. Victims often trust and respect the very people responsible for their abuse.

So, how do we gain a handle on this insidious situation? To start, we need to identify the components of elder abuse, local statistics, and how older adults become victims of maltreatment. Then we can recognize it, report it, and become part of the solution.

Elder abuse impacts at least one in 10 adults nationwide over the age of 60. Two-thirds are women. That’s according to a study of 5,777 people who responded to a questionnaire on the subject. Ten percent said a family member abused them within the past year through financial abuse, potential neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse — in the order of prevalence.

Abuse among people with advanced stages of dementia or cognitive impairment is as high as 50 percent, says Courtney Reynolds, Senior Research Analyst at the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. “Even worse is the recognition that, as high as this rate of abuse seems to be, it is under-reported.”

ELDER ABUSE, DEFINED

Reynolds says, “Generally speaking, elder mistreatment (or elder abuse) is the harm of an older adult: emotional/psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse/exploitation and neglect. Each of these types of abuse is inflicted upon an older adult by a trusted individual in their life.”

Local elder abuse statistics can be found on Ohio’s Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) website. Reynolds says, “Please keep in mind that this is reported elder abuse, not necessarily all elder abuse. In 2013, Adult Protective Services in Ohio received 13,151 reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation for people aged 60 and over. By 2020, that number had almost tripled.”

If 10 percent of Ohio’s more than 2 million older adults experience abuse, then 200,000 people should have filed reports, well above the 32,072 who did.

WHO ARE THE ABUSERS?

ODJFS reports that nearly 90 percent of elder abuse occurs at home. As Ohio ages, this issue is