World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: How to protect you or a loved one

Last year, there were just under 3,800 reports of elder abuse in North Dakota, according to the state's Health & Human Services.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and the state urges people that if you see something, say something.

“It’s really important to have, like, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day or just talking in general about elder abuse awareness, abuse of older adults or abuse of adults with physical disabilities overall. We want to bring that out into the light because it doesn’t get reported as often as it should,” Michelle Gayette, the Assistant Director of the Aging Services Division of the ND Health & Human Services.

Gayette says the most common reported form of elder abuse is self-neglect, where a person is unable or unwilling to care for their own needs.

“You may see them not taking medications like they should. Not being able to care for themselves, like bathing, all of those kinds of daily necessities. I think a common one people may think about are hoarded homes. A home that’s in disrepair and they can no longer stay up on the cleaning or taking care of the things they need to take care of in their home,” she says.

The second most common form is financial exploitation where an elderly person’s funds, properties or assets are misused.

“It could be family members or other people that are known to them that they trust and let into their lives. It could be those people and again in that position of having access to the funds or access to that person and getting into their ears, getting that funding from them and access to it. So, it is really happening at the hands of people they know, love and trust,” Gayette says.

She says prevention is always difficult but one way to start is by checking in on your neighbors, being engaged and a part of the community.

“It’s really just a day to focus on bringing awareness to elder abuse or abuse of vulnerable adults as we’d call them here in North Dakota. If they see something, say something, Bring it forward because we want to start thinking about getting those reports in so we can start making contact, getting involved, offering services and trying to bring forth some remedies,” Gayette said.

If you or a loved one are concerned of possible abuse or neglect, click here.