TEMPE, Ariz. — The numbers are hard to hear. According to the National Council on Aging, one in every 10 Americans 60 years of age and older has experienced some form of abuse, ranging from physical to financial, with many cases going unreported.
On Saturday in Tempe, heartbreaking stories were shared, and powerful words were expressed at the second annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day at the Friendship Village.
Victims and experts shared sobering stories and advice, so people can better protect themselves and their loved ones.
The discussion was centered around elder abuse and financial exploitation of Arizona seniors, a silent crime the National Council on Aging said impacts more than 5 million Americans every year.
It’s a heinous crime that robs people of their dignity, health, financial security, and in some cases, their lives, something Linda Arters said she’s all too familiar with.
“My mom was exploited, at that time by my family members, of over a million dollars that should have been used to get her in the proper care,” said Arters.
Elder abuse isn’t just physical, it can be emotional, psychological, neglect, sexual, isolation, undue influence, and financial exploitation.
Many perpetrators of elder abuse are family members.
Arters has been fighting her case since 2013.
While her case is still pending, she has already lost thousands of dollars trying to defend her parents and herself.
“It has cost me all my savings,” Arters said. “It’s been over $700,000.”
Now, Arters is a certified senior advisor, one of the many people spearheading the effort to let people know where they can turn to get guidance to protect themselves.
“Because it can happen to anybody,” she said.
Arters is far from alone. Reports of elder abuse to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office have increased 150% over the last decade.
Older adults lost over $82 million dollars to fraud in 2022, according to advocacy group Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly (R.O.S.E. Advocacy).
“I’m not surprised at all, and it’s so much easier today for them to do it,” said Gregg Leach, a CPA of more than 40 years.
“I had one at a previous company that paid a $50,000 bill, and they wired it to a bank in England because they thought they were wiring it to us because somebody had said this is our new account,” he said. “Well, no you didn’t, and you still owe us the money, so they ended up paying twice for something.
Leach continues to help others keep their guard up, including his own parents.
“They’re both 88 and I’m more aware of it because I’m watching. I watch their finances and what’s going on,” he said.
Leach recommends seniors have someone they can trust for advice and that they follow a safety checklist.
That should include recognizing, reporting, and deleting junk email, backing up important documents and files, and monitoring your bank accounts and deeds.
“Continue to try to be suspicious about anything that is out of the ordinary,” he said.
That way you can best protect yourself and your loved ones from being targeted by elder abuse.
There are resources you can turn to for more advice on this topic to stay on guard. For more information, just head to eldersrights.com.
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