Policy Matters Ohio says the number of state residents aged 60 or more will exceed 2.5 million by 2015.
But adult protective services in many counties are far short of adequate staffing and resources.
Researcher Wendy Patton says because of this, mistreatment, abuse, and neglect of the elderly continues unaddressed, causing what she calls the “silent epidemic.”
“Our elders…sometimes they lack the capacity to report, they may have dementia, or Alzheimer’s. They can’t report!" says Patton. "They may be embarrassed to report, or ashamed. Or they may fear retaliation from people they are dependent on.”
Patton says 15,000 cases of abuse are reported in Ohio each year, but estimates that number could reach 10 times that…or more…when unreported incidents are factored in.
Policy Matters says the $10 million for adult protection services – contained in an appropriation bill working its way through the legislature -- would be a start.
“We need between $11.7 million and $30.2 million just for caseworkers alone to address the problem.”
Meanwhile, the state Attorney General’s Office has announced its own Elder Justice Initiative, which aims to boost the investigation and prosecution of elder abuse cases across Ohio.