Knowledge, Awareness Key To Stopping Abuse Increased Law Enforcement, More Support Services Could Help Bring End To Neglect Of Our Elders

This is the fourth article in an ongoing series on senior issues. Today, Larry Belmont takes a look at what help exists to avoid elder abuse.

As we age, how can we avoid the growing possibility of elder abuse? It continues to increase because of our ever-growing aging population and the ever-increasing income gap.

Another reason this insidious problem grows is that we ignore it because many of us do not want to face growing older.

“Up until it happens to us and our family, we aren’t aware of it or our own mortality,” explained Dave Scates, Coeur d’Alene police chief.

Health professionals worry about the dwindling supply of paraprofessionals who care for the elderly. This is hard, demanding work that requires patience and often creates frustration for both the caregiver, with low pay, and the client, sometimes without adequate resources.

These conditions set a stage for inadequate and inefficient care of the elderly that can lead to elder abuse. What can we do to avoid these problems? First, increase law enforcement, and second, increase support services to families and others caring for the frail elderly.

Kay Kindig, director of the Panhandle Health District, worries about the middle class when it comes to care of the elderly because “if you are poor, Medicaid will take care of you, if you are rich you can afford the care, but there is no help for the middle class.”

She also has seen a shift upward in the average age of homebound patients in the past several years. “In the early 1970’s the average age of our patients was about 75; now we see an average of about 85, and it is not unusual to see patients in their 100’s.”

That reflects the recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau that predicts that this new century brings with it a doubling of the entire population, and the elderly will grow at a greater percentage. The bureau reports that we now care for about 65,000 people 100 years old and older, but the population will be older with some 5.3 million folks over the age of 100.

This does not include the entire frail elderly population 80 years and older that will increase by more than 500 percent in this century.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the number of home health care aides financed by Medicare and Medicaid at 697,000 in 1996, a number that includes paid homemakers. By 2006 that number will increase by 76 percent.

In addition to the growing caseload and staff cut-backs, health professionals often see a lot of self-neglect, a form of abuse.

If the patient does not accept the help, professionals cannot force care upon them without a court order. Here is where services such as the Board of Community Guardians can help.

Peggy Fairfield, chair of the board, said: “They are the last resort for patients with no family to help when they are deemed incompetent.”

Pam Massey is the caseworker for the board, and she does the work of the family for forgotten elderly. Massey sees “mostly self-neglect and some exploitation that is indirect abuse.” The Board of Community Guardians does legally pursue all forms of financial abuse it encounters. The board can be reached at 666-2930.

Gale Griffiths-Vorse, executive director of Trinity Groups Homes Inc., said elder abuse is a “quiet problem.” She often sees neglect from “families not helping, or becoming frustrated and not knowing how to help.”

Her programs deal mostly with mental health issues. They have three state-certified homes, the only such program in the Panhandle. “Our semi-independent homes allow people to readjust and eventually return to the community,” she said. Trinity can be reached at 667-9607.

“We are blessed in that we have not seen a lot of elder abuse here, but when we do, we treat it as domestic violence because that law requires counseling,” said Police Chief Scates. “We need more prevention, and resources to help others care for the elderly.”

He also suggests better coordination of available resources because many people do not know how to find appropriate services.

Care of the elderly is hard and sometimes frustrating work, which can on occasion lead to abuse. As we continue to age, how can we avoid the growing possibility that we will be abused?

Knowledge and awareness of the problem and the services available will help us because law enforcement alone is not the answer. We must acknowledge the problem, but we must also be more aware and accepting, as Scates said, “of our own mortality.”