Abuse, in all its forms, is unacceptable. Especially when the victims are children or the elderly, who cannot defend themselves as a young person would.
The reality is that abuse of older adults is punishable by law and they have rights. But the sad thing is that in most cases it is the family members themselves who abuse them.
One in 10 people over the age of 60 suffer from some type of abuse.
“Normally here at the Police Department we have very frequent reports of neglect, abuse or domestic violence against an elderly person and normally what we do is try to raise awareness,” explains Josie Arellano, from the Services for Victims of Pharr Police Crime.
Pharr Police work with organizations to find resources and help in hopes of curbing elder abuse, which itself is a felony. “Many times they do not have adequate care and we work with other agencies in coordination to assist the elderly,” adds Arellano.
According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, in 2022 there will be more than 500,000 cases of elder abuse or neglect in the state. That same year, six cases of abuse occurred in Pharr and so far this year there have been three cases reported to the police.
What is elder abuse?
“One can tell from the effects on the body, whether they have some kind of bruise, lose their appetite, don’t want to talk, or sometimes feel uncomfortable asking for something because they feel like a burden for someone else,” explains Arellano.
Abuse includes involuntary isolation, intimidation, humiliation, harassment, threats of punishment, deprivation, hitting, slapping, pinching, kicking, corporal punishment, sexual assault, sexual coercion, sexual harassment, and verbal or emotional abuse, according to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
These people are also extorted for money. “They are prone to identity theft, stealing money electronically or easily taking them to the ATM to get the money and taking the money from them,” Arellano says.
In most cases, those who abuse them are their own relatives. “Because most of the time these elderly people come to live with their family and the family begins to not have the capacity to give them the things they need on a daily basis,” Arellano says.
If you are suffering from or suspect that an older adult is being abused, neglected, or exploited, you are required by law to report it. If it is an emergency call 9-1-1 or contact your local police department.
