The Elderly and Disabled Victims Program

Welcome back! This week we’re going to take a look at the Elderly and Disabled Victims Program, which we should all care about. Why, you ask? I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but (unless you already are, in which case I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know) one day, barring tragedy, you are going to be old. Gasp, right? It’s not a bad thing, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but many of us seem to operate under the illusion that it won’t happen to us – it will, I assure you, and I don’t know about anyone else but when I’m old I want to be well taken care of, treated with dignity and generally free from abuse. I imagine we all do once we admit that we aren’t immune to time, which is why it’s so important that we make sure our elders are taken care of now, and the Elderly and Disabled Victims Program is the Partnership’s effort to do exactly that.

The elderly and disabled are some of the most vulnerable people in any society. Every day, elderly and disabled members of our community are deprived of some or all of the basic conditions of human dignity, suffering from sexual and physical assault, humiliation, intimidation, isolation, and financial exploitation. The Elderly and Disabled Victims Program has four services that deal with the different facets of this problem.

• Geriatrics takes and works with referrals from the community for elderly people in need of assistance.
• Service Coordinators work closely with public housing.
• Ombudsmen are volunteers who go into assisted living centers and nursing homes to advocate for the residents there.
• VOCA, or Victims of Crime and Abuse, provides free support and recovery services for disabled people between 18 and 59 and elderly people over the age of 60 who are in crisis or recovering from abuse. A lot of their work consists of keeping the people they work with independent if at all possible.

The services provided by this program include:

• Crisis intervention/emergency services
• Comprehensive assessment
• Counseling and guidance
• Case management
• Referrals for community assistance
• Advocacy and intervention
• Court related services
• Safety planning
• Public education

These services are vital to elderly and disabled people recovering from or currently involved in the various forms of abuse I’ll cover below, but they can’t or won’t usually pursue them for themselves, which is why referrals from the community are so important. If you know an elderly or disabled person who you think is suffering from abuse but aren’t sure about referring them, please remember that not only are referrals anonymous upon request, but all of the services the Partnership offers are entirely optional – the dignity and independence of people in need comes before anything else.

You can’t really make a referral if you don’t know what abuse is, and it’s sometimes more complex or subtle than you’d think, so what constitutes abuse with regard to the elderly and disabled? There are six types of abuse to look out for: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect or abandonment, financial exploitation, and healthcare fraud. The names explain themselves, really, but if you want to learn more about what plays into each of these types you can go to the links below to find out in more detail. It’s important to remember that, especially when dealing with elderly or disabled people who are dependent on others for care, things that would not normally seem abusive absolutely can be, so never be afraid to speak up if something seems strange!

The links below also list signs to look out for with each type of abuse, but in speaking with one of the Program’s VOCA workers I learned a few other important symptoms as well as some complications I might not have thought of otherwise. For example, most sources mention that bruises, especially bilateral bruising on the arms can indicate physical abuse. The same bruises could also be caused by an isolated fall, but if there is a series of bruises in different stages of healing near the same area it’s almost certainly a sign of repeated intentional injury. Also, bruising on the thighs can indicate sexual assault, which is much simpler to look for as a lay person than the physical symptoms listed in the links, as well as less invasive for the elder or disabled person.

It’s important to note that most abuse and exploitation doesn’t take place in nursing homes or other care facilities – it takes place in the homes of the elderly or disabled person or the homes of the individuals caring for them, usually family. This doesn’t make much sense until you realize that a lot of abuse isn’t intentional and malicious, at least not at first – it’s caused by burnout on the part of the caregiver. If you are taking care of an elderly or disabled person, please be aware that your mental and emotional health is vital. If you allow yourself to be overcome by stress, anger or depression it could be disastrous for your elderly or disabled loved one. Don’t worry though, because you’re not alone! There are agencies that can provide respite care that anyone taking care of an elderly or disabled person should look into. There is also a agency and support group specifically for alzheimers that could help in the city, which is important since alzheimers sufferers can be especially taxing on their caregivers. It is also vital that the caregiver do as much to avoid isolation in themselves as it is to make sure the elderly person is not isolated – if your entire life revolves around the person in your care, you will start to resent them eventually.

The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults doesn’t provide all the services an abused elderly or disabled person might need. The Partnership’s help is only voluntary and even then only serves to stabilize the victims, aid their recovery, preserve their independence, and maintain a decent quality of life. The Partnership does, however, work with other services in the area, including the police, Adult Protective Services, public housing, and United Way's 211, all of whom refer victims to the Partnership in addition to providing what aid they can. More help is always needed though, which is why your assistance (yes, yours) is so important!

(And, on the off chance that you're qualified for the position, there is currently a two year waiting list in geratrics due to a shortage of caseworkers. I can't think of many nobler pursuits!)

Important Links:
The 211 service
Adult Protective Services
Respite Care
Support for Alzheimers caregivers
Numerous support resources for caregivers
Information from the APA on elder abuse
More information on elder abuse
MORE information on elder abuse!
An article on the abuse of disabled people