June 15 was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a day on which agencies like the National Center on Elder Abuse are encouraging "dynamic involvement from not only the aging services and affiliated networks, but also from the public at large to recognize elder abuse as a widespread societal issue and to take action in preventing it."
In looking to "provide an unprecedented opportunity to engage public attention, enlist public support, and generate activity and involvement at a grassroots level," the NCEA has launched a “Join Us in the Fight Against Elder Abuse” campaign touted as "the first national effort to raise awareness of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation." In addition to events scheduled throughout the world, people are encouraged to wear something purple to demonstrate a concern about ending elder abuse and neglect.
This certainly is an admirable campaign which will hopefully achieve its goal yet it also provides an important opportunity to highlight another facet of this issue routinely heard when talking with some family members of elder abuse victims. While the NCEA invites "dynamic involvement" from "aging services and affiliated networks," these same agencies are often cited as parties to elder abuse acts. Stories exist - many documented - in which people working as Adult Protective Services employees, professional guardians, other social workers, medical personnel responsible for evaluations (physical and psychological), proprietors of facilities that house incapacitated or disabled individuals - involve themselves in what becomes cases of guardianship/conservatorship or other elder abuse. Google either of these terms and such cases are readily found.
Elder abuse perpetrated by family members absolutely exists and this is to no way diminish that reality. However, certainly in the U.S., for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to have any credible meaning, discussion must begin regarding public and private entities who may have been well-intentioned at their onset, but who are now known to hijack the personal liberty and/or property of elderly U.S. citizens for financial gain either directly through the person's assets, indirectly via adding to an institutional headcount eligible for taxpayer-funded subsidization or sometimes through a combination of both.
The heinous treatment of our elderly as well as corrupt use of systems designed to protect the most vulnerable in our society should be viewed as a national shame. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is a great cause around which people should rally, but in doing so, real dialogue should take place naming all the true culprits, exposing the lack of recourse experienced by caring, responsible families, acknowledging the civil and property rights violations that occur and recognizing how these victims can end up a burden on honest, hard-working Americans as they are unnecessarily shifted into taxpayer-funded programs.
This is the uncomfortable aspect of elder abuse and its time for exposure is here.
Lou Ann Anderson is an advocate working to create awareness regarding the Texas probate system and its surrounding culture. She is the Online Producer at www.EstateofDenial.com and a Policy Advisor with Americans for Prosperity – Texas. Lou Ann may be contacted at info@EstateofDenial.com
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