Protecting the elderly from abuse

Thursday, 23 June 2011 14:04

Protecting the elderly from abuse

Written by Scott LaMar, Director of Radio Smart Talk

Radio Smart Talk for Friday, June 24:

According to Pennsylvania's Secretary of Aging, reports of elder abuse continue to rise in the Commonwealth – the Department of Aging determined 3,900 people, out of 15 thousand reported and investigated, were in need of protective services.

What can we do to limit elder abuse in Pennsylvania? And if only about a quarter of the reports of abuse to the Department of Aging are found to warrant the state stepping in, it begs a question: are too many "non-incidents" of abuse reported, making it that much more difficult for the state to intercede, due to the sheer volume of complaints?

We'll discuss elder abuse in the Commonwealth with Denise Getgen, Chief, Consumer Protection Division, Pennsylvania Department of Aging and Natalie Novotny-Goles, Special Projects Coordinator, Victims’ ServicesProgram, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

LISTEN TO PROGRAM:

Published in Smart Talk

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comments

# lucas 2011-06-23 15:40

It's a shame that elder abuse is only on the rise. The elderly deserve respect and care. My company just wrote a blog post on the subject http://blog.guardly.com/guardblog/2011/06/22/safety-tips-for-seniors-elderly-abuse/. The company I work for, Guardly is determined to stop the abuse. Guardly is a mobile service that instantly connects you with family, friends and authorities during an emergency and helps them locate, respond to and reach you faster than any other service. It's location-aware and also allows you to send pictures to a secure server as evidence to deter potential assailants.

More information at: http://guardly.com
Download Guardly in the App Store at: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/guardly/id400742014?mt=8

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# Robin 2011-06-24 09:48

Dosen't Pennsylvania have among the largest elderly populations - making this particularly relavent?

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# Ranna 2011-06-24 10:07

Years ago I worked at a financial services firm and I saw elderly people being encouraged (by family members, friends and advisors) to invest in very volatile stocks and funds that were not appropriate for their needs. Is this a form of elder abuse? I still have friends in the industry that deal with these situations regularly and would like to be able to inform them of their options when they see this happening.

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# Denise Getgen 2011-06-26 16:04

Yes, this can be a form of elder abuse or financial exploitation and can be reported to the PA Securities Commission at 1-800-600-0007. thank you for your interest in protecting elderly Pennsylvanians.
Denise Getgen,
PA Department of Aging

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# Robert Colgan 2011-06-24 10:09

Very knowledgeable guests: both Denise and Natalie understand well all the risks to the elderly and communicate thoughtfully and clearly.

Good information.

Too short a show for so broad a topic.

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