A training program is offered for anyone who would like to become an elder companion. Participants are contacted on a regular basis to provide ongoing support. The ElderVention program helps seniors realize their personal worth, that they are loved and appreciated, and that there are viable options to suicide. We've all seen the photos of an older adult who has been abused. His or her frail body bruised and battered.
Confused eyes ask unanswerable questions.
Unfortunately, this scenario is not as uncommon as we would like to believe. Nationally, it is estimated that there are 1.5 million cases of elder abuse reported annually, and that only one in 14 cases are actually reported to the appropriate authorities. Closer to home, Adult Protective Services received 10,017 reports of alleged elder abuse from July 1998 through June 1999 in Arizona. Of these, women over 80 are the most common victims. The issue of elder abuse is a critical concern we must face not only as professionals, but also as family members and as a society.