Gloria Mejía is a victim of abuse: “Just honestly, talk…” she says.
Talking and getting help was what according to Nancy Mejía helped her get out of an experience that perhaps many older adults suffer from.
“Four years, almost five years, a permanent struggle,” he says.
Mejia was harassed and physically attacked by her brother-in-law, her fiancé’s brother.
“He grabbed me by the shoulders and wanted to throw me into a corner, leaving me locked in my room,” he adds.
And although she complained, her partner’s family threatened her that she could not call the police because she was undocumented while the aggressor also beat Mejia’s partner.
“Even to go to the bathroom he accompanied me because I was afraid that when I went to go to the bathroom his crazy, drugged brother lying on a bed would want to touch me like he did thousands of times,” Mejía remembers.
Almost two years later, she reported the case to the police and says they guided her with resources that she did not know about, she explains.
“Yes, the police were very nice to me. They gave me support in the house when they gave me the order paper that I had already gone there.”
According to data from the National Council on Aging, around 5 million adults over the age of 60 suffer abuse in the United States. One in every 24 cases are reported to the authorities.
“And the abuse, I want to tell you, is not only physical, it is financial, it is psychological, and sometimes the abuse of taking away your home,” says Lorraine, Commissioner of Aging NYC.
The commissioner of the city’s department of senior assistance maintains that there are eight centers in the five boroughs where they offer resources for the prevention and treatment of cases of elder abuse.
Recently, Mejía, along with dozens of residents of Sunnyside Queens, dressed in purple, joined in a march to raise awareness about the different types of abuse and the available centers.
Carol Hernández is the social worker helping Mejía at the Sunnyside Community Services center where she also receives psychological therapy and help with immigration matters:
“Inform older people about the services we have to help: we have a protection order, individual counseling, transportation”
In September 2023, the police took her attacker out of the house and had a restraining order.
“The most important thing is my peace of mind,” concludes Nancy Mejía.
If you have been a victim of abuse or know an older adult victim of these attacks, you can call the Aging Connect office at 212-244-6469
____________
We invite you to visit us on the new NY1 Noticias channel on WhatsApp. There you will find the most relevant news about what is happening in New York, as well as other coverage about the rest of the country, Latin America and the world. click in this link to access the channel. We thank you in advance if you become one of our followers and express your reaction to what we publish with an emoji.
