Preventing & Reporting Elder Abuse
We’ve been collecting information for our families fighting foreclosure for the past year. Sadly, methods of operations by lenders are apparent when comparing demographics, income levels, and, increasingly more apparent, age.
A significant number of our families who are facing home loss by the agents of lenders are America’s senior citizens; these individuals are the very people who have spent 40 or 50 years working and paying taxes to underwrite our society, including underwriting the recent bank bailouts.
The State of California is quite clear on definitions of elder abuse and have a 39-page citizens guide to these issues. This guide may be important if you or someone in your family is a senior citizen and is being subject to harrassment by lenders — this includes loan modification agreements that are ignored by lenders and lenders’ agents.
Emotional abuse includes: “Subjecting an individual to fear, isolation or serious emotional distress.”
Few things are worse than losing your home, particularly one you have been in for decades. Emotional abuse also includes “Verbal assaults, threats or intimidation.”
One of Marin Family’s Action’s members (image right) was taken from her home, handcuffed and sent to the county jail. This woman is A 74-year-old California native with degrees in economics and welfare from University of California at Berkeley. No notice was given. Earlier that week her pacemaker was replaced.
When asked what it was like to be in jail, she said she was “stunned as the reality of my circumstance had not yet sunk in.” Her pacemaker had been replaced earlier that week and stress was something to be avoided. Her arms were already bruising from rough handling and handcuffs “All I could do is wait. There is nothing to do, no means to go to the bathroom. I sat handcuffed.” The nurse checked her pulse: 195 over 97, pronounced the pulse rate “okay” and asked if the bruises on Mary’s arms were “needle marks.”
Elder abuse covers several areas. We are focused on abuse as relates to one’s home and loss of one’s home through predatory lending, through lack of cooperation with homeowners with regard to loan modifications, home improvement scams, and illegal fees paid to individuals professing to be able to help with home loan modifications or restructures. The guide covers some of these areas and is worth your time to read the guide: A Citizen’s Guide to Preventing and Reporting Elder Abuse Financial Elder Abuse: Financial abuse is the theft or embezzlement of money or any other property from an elder. It can be as simple as taking money from a wallet and as complex as manipuating a victim into turning over property to an abuser.
Indicators Of Elder Abuse. Signs of elder abuse are noticeable changes in physical conditions and behavioral patterns such as:
- Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns (such as those in the image above)
- Increased physiological pain (which is apparent when you are afraid of losing your home)
- Dehydration or malnourishment
- Overly medicated without cause
- Lack of cleanliness or grooming
- Shame, anxiety, embarrassment
- Transfer of assets, deeds, trusts (perhaps foreclosure could be included here)
The signs of elder abuse listed above are generally a combination of factors.
General Profile Of The Abused:
- Most often female
- Physically or mentally impaired
- Dependent physically or mentally
- Frequently exhibits behavior problems
This form of abuse can be devastating because an elder victim’s life savings can disappear in the blink of an eye, leaving them unable to provide for their needs and afraid of what an uncertain tomorrow will bring.
California has designated $25 million to help senior individuals for elder abuse:
Marin County offices are at: Adult Services, 10 North San Pedro Road Suite 1002, San Rafael, CA 94903, Tel: (415) 499-7118 Fax: (415) 499-6465, 24 Hour Hotline: (415) 507-2774. The Division of Social Services administers Adult Protective Services (APS).
Anyone age 65 or older, who is suspected of being abused or neglected, is eligible for APS without regard to income. If you suspect that an elderly or dependent adult is being abused or neglected, call Marin County Adult Protective Services, 24 hours/day, at 507-2774. All calls are handled confidentially. When necessary, APS will keep confidential the name of the person who reported the suspicions.
America’s working men, women — and often children — shaped this country into the great place that it is. Why aren’t we being protected? How did we become “the enemy” and “inconvenient?” We are being “internally displaced” (meaning having to move within our own country) and our displacement rivals or exceeds international numbers:
- 2009, Sri Lanka: 300,000 war-displaced Tamils forced into camps;
- 2009, Yemen: 150,000 people fled fighting;
- 2009, Sudan: 250,000 displaced;
- 2009, Georgians: 192,000 displaced (Moscow, Reuters);
- 2008, Columbia: 380,000 forced off their farms by guerillas, paramilitaries or drug traffickers;
- 2008, World: 4.6 million from armed conflicts;
- 2008, World: 20 million displaced because of natural disasters such as flooding, earthquakes and storms.
Unfortunately, history does repeat itself and it is time to stand up and be heard. 
