How are you? It’s a question we all ask but we usually don’t wait around to listen for the answer. If you are a vulnerable senior citizen and someone is abusing you, how can you get someone to listen? In the recent violence at Virginia Tech, discussion about prevention revealed that if teachers take a few minutes each day to chat with students, they hear about the problems that lead to violence and prevent these events by the dozens!

When we teach a class for first responders- firemen, paramedics and police- on how to recognize an older adult that needs help from non-emergency services, one question that needs asking is “Has anyone hurt you?” The answer might be non-verbal but you usually get a clear answer. Most reports to APS are for self-neglect but when someone is abusing an elder, it is most often a family member or caretaker. It may be hard to imagine but it should be easy to recognize if you ask the right question.

Health care workers and anyone whose job is to provide care or services to older people are mandated to report suspected abuse, but anyone can make a report. If the older adult lives in a skilled care facility or convalescent hospital, the Ombudsman should be called. If they live in the community, as most do, APS is the proper agency to get the report. Law enforcement agencies will cross report elder abuse as well.

We know that the problems of youth respond to this intervention, to asking, “How are you?” Kids are in school, older adults are everywhere. A civilized society cares for it’s elders and we can all spread civility by asking, and by listening to the answer to the question “ how are you?”

RESOURCES
Los Angeles County Department of Community and Senior Services
(877) 477-3646(877) -4 -R –SENIORS