By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Last year, Wood County investigated 315 cases of suspected elder abuse.
“You can hardly believe those two words are spoken together,” Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson said of elder abuse, Friday morning.
But all too often, senior citizens fall prey to abuse, neglect and exploitation.
So a few years back, Wood County set up a task force to address crimes against the elderly. The task force, led by David Romaker of the county prosecutor’s office, is charged with looking out for the 19,000-plus Wood County residents aged 65 and older.
“The goal of the task force is to stand tall for every single one of them,” Romaker said, as citizens and officials gathered outside the Wood County Senior Center for the annual recognition of Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
“We believe it’s a right to grow old with dignity,” Romaker said.
In the last four years since its formation, the task force has led to the indictment of more than $1 million in crimes against the elderly in Wood County.
“This is not something that only happens in big cities,” said Maricarol Torsok-Hrabovsky, special projects manager at Wood County Department of Job and Family Services. “It happens in Wood County, too.
Torsok-Hrabovsky listed off some of the tell-tale signs that an older person may be abused, neglected, or exploited:
- Sudden isolation from others
- Fear of certain people.
- Hoarding.
- Lack of personal hygiene.
- Untreated health problems.
- Sudden changes in their bank accounts.
- Unpaid bills.
- Unexplained injuries.
- Sudden changes in their wills.
A new state law passed in 2018 expands the types of professional people who are required to report suspected elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. That list now includes pharmacists, first responders, and banking representatives.
“We’re expecting these reports to go up,” Torsok-Hrabovsky said.
Nancy Orel, from Bowling Green State University’s Optimal Aging Institute, praised the work of the task force for the population she preferred to call “chronologically gifted.”
“I applaud all the work going on,” she said.
One of every 10 people 65 and older is a victim of some type of abuse in any given year. And those are just the reported cases.
“There are a lot of cases going unknown,” Orel said.
The most common problem seen in senior populations is self-neglect, she explained.
“The individuals still want to maintain their independence, but they fail to ask for help,” Orel said.
That may result in the senior not taking required medications, being scammed out of money, or failing to keep up with physical hygiene.
So it’s up to the younger population, Orel said, to step up and ask seniors, “How can I help you?”
The work of all agencies serving seniors in Wood County was praised by elected officials attending Friday’s event.
“Your work is extremely important,” State Senator Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, said, noting the growing senior population.
State Representative Haraz Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg, talked about the recent case of an elderly man being scammed in Perrysburg. The resident reportedly paid a man to do yard work – that was never done. The community came together to help the senior citizen with his yard work.
“Really, we need to be checking up on elderly neighbors seven days a week,” not just during extreme cold or heat, Ghanbari said.
Nationally there are 5 million cases of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation each year, said Wood County Commissioner Doris Herringshaw. And Wood County’s percentage of elderly residents exceeds the state average, she noted, reminding people to watch out for their older neighbors.
In addition to talking about elder abuse, Friday’s gathering also paid respects to “Pause for the Pledge” on Flag Day. Bowling Green police and firefighters joined in the pledge.
Bowling Green City Council President Mike Aspacher talked about the freedoms and rights symbolized by the flag.
“I think it’s very important we gather as a community to remember this day,” Aspacher said.
A student, Daisy Boyer, read a poem she had written about the American flag.
And Ghanbari said he was looking forward to the day when students would again stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance together.
