A senior is struck or pushed around. Or locked in a room and denied food or water. He or she is forced to sign their bank accounts or property over to a family member or are unable to prevent large amounts being withdrawn from their account.
Elders are afraid to report abusers
Actions like the ones detailed above are considered abuse. Often the victims are afraid to report these happenings or won’t report them because the abuser is a family member. Elders may be afraid of the family member retaliating and abusing them farther.
On October 26th, seniors at India Home’s Sunnyside location learned how to seek help for abuse. The Family Justice Center of Queens brought Josh Rotkin and Shagufta Shah from JASA ( Jewish Association Serving the Aging) to talk about the different types of elder abuse, talk about cases and detailed ways these organizations could help seniors. It was a very informative and eye opening session and our seniors had a productive discussion afterward.
Ways to find help:Family Justice Center Queens