As Elder Abuse Problem Grows, Some Nursing Homes Open Rooms for Emergency Placement

As the elderly population increases, concern has been growing about abuse and neglect in nursing homes. However, elder abuse is also a growing problem among in-home caretakers, particularly with relatives of the elderly victims.

Now, some nursing homes are setting aside bedrooms specifically for temporary housing for victims of elder abuse.

Elder abuse affects one in ten adults over the age of 60, according to a study at the Medical University of South Carolina. Most commonly, elder abuse is perpetrated by the adult children of the victims, who are caretakers for their aging parents.

“People think: ‘Who would ever hit their elderly mother? Who would ever push their grandmother down the stairs? Who would ever steal their grandparents’ social security checks week after week?’,” says Dan Reingold, president and CEO of the Hebrew Home, a long-term care facility in Riverdale, N.Y. “The answer is: about 2 million people.”

Nursing homes are beginning to respond to the growing problem because budget cuts in several states have decimated social services, including adult protective services. According to Brian Gregg, a spokesperson at the Job and Family Services Agency in Hamilton County in Cincinnati, the agency is about half the size it was just four years ago, in 2009. National statistics indicate that the problem of elder abuse is growing, but the agency has been unable to investigate as many cases – 574 cases in 2009, down to 477 cases in 2012.

There are no longer enough adult protective services investigators to perform routine checks on the elderly, both in their homes and in nursing homes. They can only investigate if there is a specific allegation of abuse or neglect.

Like child abuse, elder abuse can be emotional, physical, or sexual; unlike child abuse, however, many cases of elder abuse are financial. According to Dan Reingold, CEO of the Hebrew Home, a long-term care facility in New York state that is pioneering efforts to shelter elder abuse victims, the most common elder abuse scenario involves adult children stealing their parents’ pension checks, or money from their bank accounts. All forms of elder abuse are difficult to track, in part because victims often fear being cut off from family members, even if the relationship is bad or unstable, and in part because victims are often unable to clearly recall what happened, due to age- or disease-related dementia.

New York State Facility Pioneers Protection Program for Elder Abuse Victims

In Riverdale, New York, the Hebrew Home and the Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention, led by former prosecutor Joy Solomon, created a program in 2005 to offer support and shelter to victims of elder abuse.

“My argument always is, if all you do is come in when the crisis has occurred, it is much more costly than preventative care,” said Solomon, director of the shelter, which takes in about 15 people a year. “We’re going to have to pay for it anyway.”

Through the Weinberg Center, victims are referred to hospital emergency room staff, social service agents, and police officers. When victims arrive at the Weinberg Center, they are integrated into the community, rather than put in a separate wing. Long-term care facilities often have separate wings for different diagnoses – for example, patients with Alzheimer’s Disease will have a separate wing, while patients who broke a leg will be in a wing for physical therapy.

The shelter program also offers training to those who are in a unique position to identify elder abuse – doormen for retirement homes and assisted living facilities, Meals on Wheels staff, and clergy.

The Weinberg Center’s mission also focuses on outreach to other communities, to help long-term care facilities and social services replicate the model. With the Center’s help, shelters have started up in upstate New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Ohio.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Elder Abuse Cases

If your loved one has experienced elder abuse, neglect, or fraud, whether from a nursing home, long-term care facility, caregiver, or relative, you should seek legal help immediately. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case. Do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800