Elder Abuse

It is estimated that over 2 million older adults in the United States suffer abuse each year by their caregivers, family, or themselves. OCES' staff can advocate for older adults by providing services and resources to resolve these difficult matters. If you suspect elder abuse report it by calling the Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275. Please always call 911 first if you are concerned about a life-threatening situation.

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Types of Abuse

The OCES Protective Services Program staff works with older adults 60+ or their designees to prevent, eliminate or remedy situations involving the abuse of an elder. Remedies could include in-home services, counseling, or safety planning. Elder Abuse can be defined as:

  • Physical - Intentional use of physical force that results in illness, injury, pain or functional impairment
  • Sexual – Non-consensual sexual contact of any kind
  • Neglect – Caregivers or other responsible parties failing to provide food, shelter, health care or protection
  • Financial – Misappropriation of an older person’s money or property
  • Emotional – Inflicting mental pain, anguish or distress on a person
  • Self-Neglect – A person who fails to perform self-care tasks such that it threatens his/her own health or safety

Financial Exploitation and Scams

Financial Exploitation can happen to anyone; however, older adults are the most vulnerable of our population. This makes them targets for scammers as well as trusted individuals who take advantage of them. Examples of financial exploitation include but are not limited to:

  • Forging a person's signature
  • Misusing or stealing a person's money or possessions
  • Coercing or deceiving a person into signing any document (e.g., contracts or will)
  • The improper use of conservatorship, guardianship, or power of attorney

For more information about recent scams or information about reporting a scam, go to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office website at https://plymouthda.com/recent-scams/