Seeking Eyes and Ears

Sometimes, she would mention his violent temper to friends at church, dropping hints about his sailor-like cursing or tendency to hurl dinnerware across the living room in a volcanic rage.

Usually, her voice was calm. But behind it was a scared 72-year-old woman who desperately wanted someone to listen.

“I was just like a little old bird,” said the Oxnard woman, who after suffering emotional abuse at the hands of her son asked not to be identified. “I’d tell them, ‘He’s mean to me.’ In a way, I was trying to find help by talking to someone.”

With the assistance of a victim advocate in the district attorney’s office, she found the help she needed and her son was taken from the home before his tirades escalated to physical abuse.

But many other elderly victims don’t get help, suffering in silence, uncertainty and shame.

Across the nation, they are being abused--physically, financially and emotionally--in crimes that authorities say are grossly underreported because victims are too frightened or simply don’t know whom to turn to.

That is why Ventura County officials are taking aggressive steps to broaden community awareness, in hope of heading off violence and other forms of abuse.

The Area Agency on Aging is preparing to launch a new program to teach bank tellers and loan officers how to spot fiduciary abuse.

Two victim advocates in the Ventura County district attorney’s office have started giving lectures in English and Spanish at senior centers to warn retirees about scam artists and crooked caregivers.

And for the first time this year, police officers are receiving special training on how to detect and investigate elder abuse.

“The voice of our seniors has largely been silenced on these matters,” said Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury, who in his role as chairman of the California Council on Criminal Justice commissioned a report on elder abuse that will be presented to the governor this month.

“Our seniors have given us so much,” Bradbury said. “We owe them much and can benefit from their wisdom and experience, but only if we care and take the time to listen.”

Stopping elder abuse in its tracks is an issue of growing importance in a community with a population of more than 68,000 seniors--a number expected to double over the next two decades.

Turning Words Into Action

Researchers now know that neglect is the most prevalent form of domestic abuse, followed by physical abuse and financial exploitation. Congress recently released a report about widespread abuse in California nursing homes. But most of the cases that have been reported locally involve abuse committed by family members serving in a care-giving role.

The biggest problems for authorities have been identifying abuse cases and persuading victims to come forward.

And that is where community outreach comes in.

“I think one of the things is to educate people, and provide some checklist to reduce the potential for abuse,” said Colleen House, director of the county’s Area Agency on Aging.

Last year, the agency helped set up the county’s first safe-shelter program for older victims, providing a comfortable and undisclosed place to stay for those who have been abused.

The agency has $5,000 set aside annually to pay for meals and up to five days of shelter at a board-and-care facility or a hotel, whichever meets the needs of the victim, House said.

This year, the agency plans to offer a $20,000 grant in hopes of encouraging a financial institution, such as a bank or credit union, to develop a program for teaching employees to detect financial abuse. The grant could go out to bid as soon as next month.

But beyond local programs, House said state-funded services are desperately needed to address not only elder abuse but an array of issues affecting seniors, from transportation to affordable respite care.

For years, Ventura County has been at the low end of state funding for such programs.

A spate of new legislation working its way through Sacramento could soon change that.

One proposal would pump $70.3 million into adult protective services programs statewide, reinvigorating the ranks of social workers who are required by law to respond to elder abuse reports.

“That is vitally needed,” House said. “It is one thing for the state to pass a law requiring mandated reporting. It is another thing for the state to give counties the money to follow up and address the issue locally.”

In addition to the efforts of the Area Agency on Aging, the Interagency Elder Abuse Council of Ventura County meets monthly to discuss a variety of issues dealing with the mistreatment of seniors.

Established in 1991, the group boasts a diverse membership of law enforcement officials, social workers and health-care professionals, as well as local businesspeople and private attorneys who have regular contact with elderly clients.

Although it has taken a few years to build momentum, co-chairwoman Heather Frankel said the council is now seeking nonprofit status and has begun to take a more active role in the community.

“Our mission really started as a forum to discuss the issue,” Frankel said, explaining that developing innovative programs has since become a key goal.

Public health nurse Mary Leu Pappas said the council has been instrumental in bringing criminal justice officials and social services workers together to identify problems and develop solutions.

“We have been fortunate enough to have gained a reputation as a proactive elder abuse council,” Pappas said. “In other words, we see the problem and we try to address it.”

Getting at a Hidden Problem

As the Ventura County district attorney’s office steps up its efforts to prosecute abusers, officials are also reaching out to the community to warn senior citizens of the problem.

“That is one of the main priorities--to get the word out before they become victims of crime,” said Jose Velasco, one of two victim advocates in the district attorney’s office assigned to the elder abuse unit.

“Law enforcement can’t be everywhere at once,” Velasco said. “People have to be willing to be our eyes and ears.”

In recent months, Velasco and his partner on the team, Valeri Cirino-Paez, have given presentations at senior centers and to Neighborhood Watch groups in hope of teaching senior citizens to do just that.

In the case of the 72-year-old Oxnard woman, it worked.

Last year, a tipster contacted Velasco to tell him about an elderly woman the tipster feared was being abused by her unemployed son. Velasco contacted the woman, but initially she did not want authorities to intervene, fearing it could make matters worse.

A few months later, Velasco got a call from the woman after the son’s tirades had escalated. Velasco immediately helped her obtain a temporary restraining order.

Today the son is out of her house, and she credits Velasco for reining in a situation that was running out of control.

“I was doing everything I could,” said the woman. “I didn’t know what else to do to make it better.”

From her own experience, the woman said she suspects many other retirees fall victim to abusive children without knowing whom to turn to for help.

“This here is such a secret thing,” she said. “Most people want to hide it.”

Indeed, officials say elder abuse is today what child abuse was two decades ago: a seldom-reported crime that most often occurs behind closed doors.

But unlike cases involving children, social workers say victims of elder abuse can easily slip into the background where crimes can go undetected.

“These people just aren’t visible,” said Shirley Alloway, manager of the county’s Adult Protective Services Agency.

A child must go to school, where teachers, other children or administrators are likely to notice bruises or other injuries that signal abuse, she said.

“But if a senior is locked in a room,” Alloway said, “nobody knows.”

Raising Police Awareness

Breaking victims out of the spiral of ongoing abuse is one of the critical challenges facing authorities.

Three months ago, the Ventura Police Department joined with officials from the district attorney’s office to launch the county’s first training session for law enforcement on mistreatment of the elderly.

The problem prompted the passage of new legislation last year that requires all California peace officers to receive two hours of training in the detection and investigation of elder abuse.

Although officers can meet the state requirement by watching a two-hour videotape certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, Ventura police recently went a step further.

“Is this a problem in Ventura County?” asked Deputy Dist. Atty. Audry Rohn during a presentation in May. “The answer is yes.”

Rohn told more than two dozen officers gathered for a morning session that senior citizens are particularly vulnerable to neglect, physical abuse and financial exploitation because of their frailty, isolation or dependency on others.

Many older victims are reluctant to notify authorities because of shame or fear of retaliation by their abuser, most often a family member, she said.

“You are the key to protecting the elders,” Rohn told the officers during her presentation. “They don’t report. There are all kinds of reasons why they don’t report. Your role is just crucial.”

As in child abuse cases, Rohn told officers to look for patterns of physical injuries, such as bruises in various stages of healing, dehydration or weight loss. Check for medication in the home, she said. Look for food in cupboards. And determine the level of care.

In cases of suspected financial abuse, ask the victim whether he or she has allowed the caregiver to use a credit or ATM card, Rohn said, and check with the bank for unusual spending patterns.

It is this kind of educational outreach, she said in an interview, that can make a difference between whether a victim is pulled from a dangerous situation or left in the hands of an abuser.

“These younger people are ripping them off and beating them up,” Rohn said. “People are just unaware.”

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Abuse Prevention

A vast network of services is available to elders and their families across Ventura County. In addition, the district attorney’s office has created a list of do’s and don’ts to help senior citizens protect themselves from abuse.

Do’s:

* Be sociable. Keep in contact with friends and neighbors, and ask them to drop by your home periodically to check your well-being.

* Develop a “buddy” system with someone outside the home and plan at least a weekly visit with the person.

* Participate in community activities, volunteer or become a member of an organization.

* Arrange to have your Social Security or pension check deposited directly into a bank account.

* Seek legal advice for the future about guardianships, conservatorships or powers-of-attorney.

Don’ts:

* Don’t live with a person who has a history of violent behavior or drug or alcohol abuse.

* Don’t leave your home unattended, and never leave cash, jewelry or other special possessions lying around.

* Don’t accept personal care in return for transfer of property or assets unless another trusted individual witnesses the transaction.

* Don’t sign a document unless someone you trust has reviewed it, and don’t allow a person to withhold details of your personal finances or property from you.

Source: Ventura County district attorney’s office

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Ventura County Elder Abuse Services

* Adult Protective Services: 654-3200

* Victim Services: 654-3622

* Senior Outreach Services: 652-7820

* Senior Fraud Hotline: 654-3180

* Area Agency on Aging: 652-7560

* Grey Law: 652-7560

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Ventura County Elder Abuse Reports

In contrast to national statistics, reports of suspected elder abuse decreased in Ventura County during the fiscal year 1996-97. The drop has been attributed to a one-third reduction in social worker positions as a result of county budget cuts. County officials say the numbers represent only a fraction of the incidents they suspect go on each year.

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Year Reports Confirmed 1996-97 830 547 1995-96 1,029 667 1994-95 873 633 1993-94 848 609

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Projected Population Increases in Ventura County

In an aging society, the problem of elder abuse could worsen. By 2030, one in four Americans will be older than 60. In Ventura County, the population of seniors age 64 and older is expected to double over the next 20 years.

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July 1, 1990: 62,837

July 1, 2000: 81,032

July 1, 2010: 108,859

July 1, 2020: 161,131

July 1, 2030: 214,714

Source: California Department of Finance

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About This Series

“Abusing the Elderly” is a two-part series exploring the growing problem of physical, emotional and financial abuse of Ventura County’s elderly. Today’s story looks at programs to prevent such abuse and reach its silent victims. Sunday’s piece detailed several cases of abuse locally and efforts to prosecute them.