Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet joins a national effort to help inform the public about abuse and neglect toward seniors on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). This year’s theme is: One person. Once action. One Nation. United against elder abuse.

Every day in the United States, 10,000 people turn 60. As this population grows, a startling number of older adults face abusive conditions. Every year an estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10, older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as 23.5 cases go unreported.

WEAAD serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about abuse, neglect, and exploitation of seniors. The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations (UN) launched the first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2006 in an effort to unite communities around the world in raising awareness about elder abuse.

Do you have concerns about the safety of an older adult (60 or older) or a person with a disability (18 – 59)? Concerns may include abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, or self-neglect. In Kankakee or Grundy Counties, calls of concern about people who are not taking care of themselves or who are living in an unsafe environment can be made confidentially to Catholic Charities, 815-933-7791, or to the 24 hour adult protective services hotline, 1-866-800-1409.

Catholic Charities provides trained and caring professionals to help determine the services most needed to stop neglect and abuse; protect the person who has suffered abuse and/or neglect; and assist the individual in the healing process. Intervention for the abuser is also provided.

Abuse isn’t always intentional and it can happen in any home.

Posted by Maggie Snow on Thursday, June 15th, 2017 @ 4:50PM
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Adult protective services, elder abuse, Grundy County, kankakee county, seniors, world elder abuse awareness day