We believe the program will also benefit the general public who want to learn more about abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults. We had a record number of investigations and confirmations of abuse against elderly and incapacitated adults in Oklahoma last year, and we hope the networking and information sharing at this conference will help us improve the ways we deliver services for these citizens. During fiscal year 2000, which ended June 30, Oklahoma Adult Protective Services workers received 12,632 abuse referrals, an 11 percent increase from fiscal 1999. More than 72 percent of all the investigations involved Oklahomans age 60 or older. In the United States, some 1.5 million persons age 60 and older were victims of abuse, a 50 percent increase since 1980.
Elder abuse cuts across all socioeconomic and ethnic lines.
Exploitation Keen said there are those in society who truly want to take advantage of the elderly. Last year, more than 1,000 of the 1,500 exploitation investigations in Oklahoma were con artists taking advantage of the elderly. Never give out your Social Security number or any credit card number over the telephone. Contact the Better Business Bureau to check out any company s reputation. If the company is legitimate, they won t mind the wait.