LIHU‘E — World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was first launched on June 15, 2006, as more baby boomers approach the golden years. Tuesday, the county’s Office of Elderly Affairs and other representatives of organizations dealing with the elderly accepted a
LIHU‘E — World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was first launched on June 15, 2006, as more baby boomers approach the golden years.
Tuesday, the county’s Office of Elderly Affairs and other representatives of organizations dealing with the elderly accepted a World Elder Abuse Awareness proclamation from Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.
“We recognize that Kauai has the largest over 60 years of age population in the state of Hawaii, and with an aging baby boomer population, the issue of elder abuse will become a greater problem,” Carvalho said in the proclamation. “An estimated 6 million older Americans are abused annually, and every five minutes, an older adult is maltreated.”
The 2010 United States Census puts 15.5 percent of Kauai’s population at 65 years or older, compared with the 14.7 percent for the state.
Nancy Phillion, a therapist with Kauai Counseling, said not only does Kauai have the largest older population in the state, women who live on Kauai live the longest, proportionate to older adults in the state.
“The number of elderly people over the age of 85 years of age is an increasing trend,” Phillion said. “Advanced aging poses a greater risk of abuse and neglect due to vulnerability of that population.”
Neglect, according to the proclamation, is indicated as the most common form of elder abuse with 23 cases going unreported for every incident which is reported. Similarly, for every case of financial abuse reported, 25 cases are unreported.
It also states that an one-third of nursing homes in America have been cited for abuse — a concern to everyone.
Phillion, citing the Adult Protective Services on Kauai, said on Kauai in 2012, there were 104 reports of abuse, including the elderly and disabled people over age 18.
“Of those, 61 intakes were accepted and seven cases were confirmed,” Phillion said. “However, these numbers are only the tip of the iceberg because in America, for every case which is reported, 14 cases go unreported.”
By recognizing the red flags for maltreatment and the resources which are available, more aging adults can live their golden years with dignity, Phillion said.
“We thank the Kauai Counseling and Elder Abuse Prevention Services for its efforts to acknowledge and increase awareness about this problem so prevention strategies can be implemented,” Carvalho said. “We must care for our kupuna, and together with the county, we support their efforts in focusing on providing elderly abuse prevention workshops around the island.”
