Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD. Lev 19:32 NIV
For the year ending June 30, 2003, a total of 11,104 reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation were received by Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. 10,346 of the reports were concerned people age 60 and over. This figure represented only the 60% of the Ohio counties that reported.
The breakdown is interesting. 1,187 of the 10,346 reports on elders 60 and over were abuse reports. 2,223 were reports of neglect by others. 1,257 reports involved exploitations. Sadly, 5,679 reports involved self-neglect!
5,302 individuals were in need of protective services.
Stories are endless. This elderly person left empty cookware a lit stove. That one sees people who are not there or talks a deceased spouse or relatives. She let a total stranger in to have control of her finances. His health is declining rapidly because he forgets to take his medicine ...
Do you suspect that an elderly person is being mistreated? Are you aware of an individual who can no longer care for him or herself? Ohio has a mechanism in place for addressing these problems. People who suspect that an individual is being mistreated or no longer able to care for him or herself can call the Adult Protective Services (APS) in the county in which the elderly person resides. APS is a division of each county’s Department of Job and Family Services. The number can be found in the blue pages of the phone book.
The call to APS can be anonymous. APS will send an investigator to the person’s home to investigate the conditions around the elderly person. Where appropriate, APS can help arrange for services to keep the person in his or her own home, work with family members to establish a guardianship or ask the Probate Court in the county in which the person resides to appoint a guardian on behalf of the individual. Emergency arrangements can be made if necessary.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible for an individual to plan for such a catastrophic decline in their personal lives. You can give someone a durable power of attorney to handle your financial affairs. You can designate someone to be your agent under a living will and power of attorney for health care. The problem comes later on when the individual does not recognize that he or she has a problem and fails to cooperate with family and friends in arranging for proper care.
It may demand a role reversal. A child may have to make the tough decision to take charge of a parent and the parent’s affairs. It may be more difficult than actually losing the parent.
If you need to talk with someone about a situation like this or if you simply need help with a guardianship, estate planning, or estate admininstration contact the attorneys at Mularski, Bonham, Dittmer, & Phillips, LLC. at (614) 478-8020!