PA grapples with increase in elder abuse

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.

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PA grapples with increase in elder abuse