The United States has been plagued for decades by the epidemic of elder abuse. Unfortunately for residents, caretakers and lawmakers, when it comes to elder abuse California statistics are alarming and staggering. Senior citizens enduring abuse in California should know that they should not do so in silence. Good, honest and caring people are available and elder abuse California groups and laws are in place to help.
Elder Abuse California: Statistics
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, there are as many as six million cases of abuse in the United States every year. The same study concludes that a whopping 11 percent of all the elder abuse cases in American occur in California. When it comes to elder abuse California unfortunately leads the nation.
Other numbers show that women are as much as 35 percent more likely than men to suffer from some form of abuse. An astounding 33 percent of those who are accused of abusing the elderly are family members, while only 16 percent were strangers.
With elder abuse California specifically, 28 percent of those surveyed in Los Angeles County say they suffered through neglect. A total of 26 percent say they were financially abuse, 25 percent claim they endured psychological abuse, while 21 percent say they were harmed physically. As many as 16-thousand seniors were abused or neglected at any given time in Los Angeles County alone.
Elder Abuse California: Unreported Cases
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get a complete study because many cases of elder abuse simply are not reported. Whether it’s due to fear of retaliation, or worse, many senior citizens don’t talk about the abuse they’ve endured. Some studies suggest that as many as 14 out of 15 cases of elderly abuse go unreported. While it may be incredibly tough to speak out about abuse, it’s important to remember that help is immediately available for those who need it.
Elder Abuse California: Help and Resources
If you suspect or have knowledge of abuse of senior citizens in California, there are several ways to get help and you have dozens of elder abuse California resources at your disposal. There are a number of elder abuse California government agencies specifically designed to handle these types of cases, including California Adult Protective Services, the California Department of Aging and the California Attorney General’s Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau.
In cases where financial abuse of the elderly is taking place, it is advised to contact either the California Department of Corporations Seniors Against Investment Fraud division, or the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board. The California Long Term Care Ombudsman, the California Department of Social Services, and the California Courts Self-Help Center are also good resources for elder abuse of any kind.
Specific laws and regulations have been put in place in the state in an effort to guard against abuse of senior citizens. Many of these fall under the California Welfare and Institutions Code, which includes the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse Civil Protection Act, and the Protective Placements and Custody of Endangered Adults act.
In any event, it is important to remember that you are not alone and the state of California will not tolerate elder abuse of any kind.