Spectrum 2008 - Sept. 23rd

'Stop.Listen.Care.' Campaign Educated Public About Elder Abuse
September 23, 2008

The Sacramento County Adult & Aging Commission has unveiled a new program, "Stop.Listen.Care," a campaign designed to prevent elder abuse by raising awareness and developing a community of compassion.

This groundbreaking program combines the resources of Health & Human Services, the Adult & Aging Commission, utility providers and the county commissioners to ensure the well-being of seniors and dependent adults within our community.

Legislators and leaders throughout Sacramento County have rallied together, answering the Commission's call to action, and they have begun to branch out within their sphere of influence, inviting others to join the campaign.

Led by Chairwoman Geraldine Esposito, the Adult & Aging Commission will provide speaker's bureaus and campaign literature in an effort to teach the community ways to identify, prevent and report abuse.

Most are familiar with Child Protective Services, but very few are aware of Adult Protective Services (APS), which exists to maintain the health and safety of elderly and dependent adults.

Adult Protective Services is a state-mandated service program that investigates situations involving report os danger due to abuse, neglect, exploitation and hazardous or unsafe living conditions.

Just as we are charged with the responsibility of caring for children who do not have the capabilities to provide for themselves, we must also recognize the adults around us who require assistance to live healthy, happy lives, says Esposito.

The campaign is an effort to educate the public and show how each person is part of the solution when it comes to providing a safety net for seniors and dependent adults. In many situations involving abuse, it takes just one concerned individual speaking up to initiate change.

Elder abuse is a tragedy that affects Californians of all ages. Twelve percent of Sacramento County's population is 65 or older, part of the fastest-growing segment of the population nationwide. Reports of elder abuse have increased 150 percent nationwide in the past decade.

Stop.Listen.Care Committee Chair Peggy Forseth-Andrews reminds us that "it will take everyone working together to create the kind of community where we all want to spend the rest of our lives."

The Sacramento APS received about 450 calls reporting abuse or neglect of a senior or a dependent adult each month. The abuse transcends physical violence and the intentional misuse of medication or unauthorized restraint. Abuse may also be sexual, emotional or verbal in nature.

Neglect is an often overlooked form of abuse involving the deprivation of water, food, housing, clothing or medical care. It may also come from a situation created due to self-neglect as an individual is unwilling or unable to care for, provide for or portect themselves. By training neighbors, business people and caregivers to recognize the denial of basic needs, it is the Committee's goal to enable a proactive community of caring.

Adult Protective Services stands ready to assist the Adult & Aging Commission with programs in place to provide 24-hour emergency response services, mobilize emergency personnel as needed, provide counseling services and act as an advocate for those with hardships.

As needs are identified, services such as meal delivery, transportation, financial and medical assistance may be dispatched. APS is charged with investigating allegations of abuse or neglect with the goal of preventing further mistreatment.

"By enabling our community members to reach out to others by giving them suggestions to act on as well as providing them with resources for which to assist, we really can create an umbrella of protection. In reality, this campaign is asking people to do just what we all wand; someone to take the time to stop, listen and care about us," concluded Forseth-Andrews.

In the future, members of the Commission will be organizing speaker's bureaus to foster community understanding as well as a business owner's luncheon to garner support. Now is the time to ask yourself how you can become involved in this important mission to care for our peers and family members - those around us who cannot speak for themselves any longer.

Take the time to learn about this important program, say advocates. Listen to those around you for signs of abuse, and care for the elders and dependent adults in your life.

For more information, campaign materials or to attend a speaker's bureau, contact the Adult & Aging Commission at (916) 447-7063.