I cared for my mother for 13 years who expressed her gratitude in the repeated phrase of “what do old women do who don’t have a daughter.” In pursuing my career as a social worker servicing vulnerable older adults I discovered the answer to this question.
Take for instance, Elaine, a wealthy New York'er who had many friends from years of working and years of acting in community theaters, as well as from the role of the wife of a university professor. In early cognitive decline, she did not recognize the devious designs of her sister’s daughter, who had supposedly come to help while Elaine’s husband was in rehab. The niece first isolated her from all her friends, near and far, and next accompanied Elaine on a cruise while the niece’s boyfriend absconded with the contents of Elaine’s home. Also over a hundred thousand dollars was removed from Elaine and her husband’s accounts before the husband was alerted. Meanwhile, Elaine was transported to Texas and deposited into a nursing home.
Or take David, on the other hand, who struggled hard all his life to make a living. But by his 70’s, he owned his small frame home, had a pre-need funeral–plan, and a nice little retirement savings. With his savings to supplement his social security, he should have been able to live a good long time, providing he lived frugally. By the time APS stepped in and actually rescued him, David’s nephew with friends, had emptied his savings, cashed in his burial plan, burned down his garage to collect the insurance, all the while cashing his monthly social security checks.
These two were lucky compared to the disabled grandmother whose grand-daughter allowed her to lay in her filth without benefit of medication or medical attention for so long that she had worn through her thin mattress top and the wire’s of the springs below were imbedded into her flesh.
One study suggests that in the United States 4% of all adults older than 65 are subjected to some form of elder abuse. Another estimates that there are 6 million victims of Elder abuse in America today and that only one out of 24 cases are reported to authorities. An estimated $2.9 billion a year is believed to be lost by financially exploited older adults.
No one, no race, no ethnicity, no level of economic security, no social status, no number of children and grand-children provides exemption from the possibility of being abused, neglected, or exploited often by someone thought to be worthy of trust.
The first federal law targeting the prevention of elder abuse is the Elder Justice Act passed though insertion into Obama’s Health Care Initiative in 2010. The strategies of this act can be bundled into three components. First is the creation of entities to research the most effective methods to reduce elder abuse including the gathering of more accurate statistics. Second has to do with the provision of both grants and incentives to improve state regulatory services including ombudsman programs and the now inadequately funded adult protective services. The third is to ensure that facilities providing elder care institute effective self-reporting procedures and require criminal background checks for care providers. But in order for this Elder Justice Act to have any effect it needs to be funded now and the act must be renewed by September.
What does an old woman do who does not have a loving daughter? She counts on you to call and write your federal representatives and let them know you want protection for elder adults with funding of the Elder Justice Act. Please act now to protect the vulnerable older adults of America. written by Beverly Jo Flach LMSW TxCG
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