HARRISBURG – Cases of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation increased more than 13 percent in 2016-17, new state data show.
Caseworkers
confirmed almost 19 reports of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation
every day in the 2016-17 fiscal year, according to that data.
The
number of substantiated cases of abuse, neglect or exploitation
increased more than 50 percent over the same period just three years
prior, according to data provided by the state Department of Aging.
There
were 6,899 cases of substantiated abuse or neglect of Pennsylvanians
aged 60 or older in the 2016-17, compared to 4,365 such cases in
2013-14.
The Aging Department has yet to publicly unveil its
2016-17 adult protective services annual report but provided the data at
the request of the CNHI Harrisburg Bureau.
Secretary of Aging Teresa Osbourne said the data on abuse “is sobering.”
She
said the increase comes from a number of factors, not the least of
which is the growing numbers of seniors in the state who could
potentially be abused or exploited.
By 2020, 1-in-4 Pennsylvanians
will be seniors and those aged 85-and-older are the fastest-growing
segment of the population, Osbourne said.
The state has been
working to make sure people know how to report abuse, she said.
Allegations about suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation can by
calling: 1-800- 490-8505.
Better cooperation between state
agencies to recognize and respond to elder abuse, neglect or
exploitation “is the third leg in the stool,” Osbourne said.
The agencies that serve seniors across the state have been straining to keep pace with the demands, advocates said Monday.
The
budget signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday provides $2.2 million
more for protective services for seniors, Wolf’s spokesman J.J. Abbott
said.
Rebecca May-Cole, executive director of the Pennsylvania
Association of Area Agencies on Aging, said that caseworkers serving the
elderly population appreciate the additional funding, but it is far
short of what they project they need.
An analysis by her group put the price tag of meeting the demand for protective services at closer to $8 million.
Ray
Landis, lobbyist for the AARP in Pennsylvania, said that agencies on
aging confronting a spike in abuse, neglect or exploitation allegations
will unquestionably make dealing with those cases their top priority.
That will leave less funding for other services for seniors, he said.
May-Cole agreed.
“There’s
only one pot of money,” she said. “If protective services is demanding a
bigger slice of the pie, that means the other slices are going to get
smaller.”
Those other services could include things, like in-home
care or home improvements, like ramps, that allow seniors to remain
independent and still connecting with the community. If the state can’t
afford that type of assistance, then seniors may be more likely to
become isolated and more prone to fall victim to neglect or
exploitation, May-Cole said.
“It’s a Catch-22,” she said.
Abbott
said that in addition to the new funding in this year’s budget, the
state’s gaming expansion passed last year should help, as well. The
gaming bill that legalized mini-casinos and sports betting also provided
the Pennsylvania Lottery with the opportunity to offer online games and
operate keno and “virtual sports” games in bars. Senior programs in
Pennsylvania are funded by the Lottery.
If those new gaming
opportunities generate additional revenue for the Lottery, it could put
the state in a better position to allocate more toward adult protective
services next year, May-Cole said.
Full Article & Source:
PA grapples with increase in elder abuse
1 comment:
Wait a minute, all articles about elder abuse say it's under-reported. How do we know if there is an increase of cases or an increase of reporting?
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