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by: Tehila Mörtl
Continuing our elder law series, we at Protect & Advise Senior Care Consultants are passionate about keeping senior citizens in our society safe, secure and living with a sense of peace and respect. With October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month we feel this is a perfect time to address the question, “What is elder abuse?” while also presenting how to address it when one’s elder is neglected, exploited or taken advantage of financially, hurt physically, mentally, psychologically, sexually or experiences power of attorney abuse.
First, it is important to know and understand that there are laws in place to protect elders from any type of abuse or neglect. Second, one needs to be aware of agencies, both governmental and private that provide help and assistance when an elder is abused. New York, for instance, has a number of organizations in place such as:
New York State Elder Abuse Resources:
718-722-4811
800-342-9871
800-342-3009
800-624-4143
800-771-7755
631-360-3606
If your elder is a New York resident and has been subjected to any form of abuse or neglect, please immediately call New York State Protective Services for Adults at 800-342-3009 or you may visit their website:
Those residing in other states, please contact the protective services agency in your state. Kindly note, many states offer a toll-free hotline; as well as, online directories. To find information pertinent to your elder’s state, please visit the following link:
http://www.nccafv.org/state_elder abuse_hotlines.htm
Information and referral for New York is also available from the U.S. Administration on Aging’s national Eldercare Locator is available toll-free at 1-800-677-1116. Business hours are 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday with the exception of U.S. federal holidays. One may also contact the County District Attorney in the area they reside, for example, those living in New York County should call, the New York County District Attorney's Office Elder Abuse Unit at 212-335-9007.
One might wish to secure the services of an Ombudsman also referred to as a public advocate. An Ombudsman will otherwise be appointed by the government or court and is responsible for representing the rights and interests of the individual, in these cases being one’s elder. In New York, there are hundreds of certified Ombudsmen with some already having been assigned to long term care facilities. To find such services in your area please contact Advise & Protect so that we may secure an experienced, qualified and compassionate Ombudsman to act on your elder’s behalf.
Thank you for visiting Advise & Protect Senior Care Consultants and joining in our discussion on “What is Elder Abuse” and who to contact for assistance. Please check back as we continue exploring other elder law topics including but not limited to wills, trusts, elder, powers of attorney, etc. Meanwhile, please remember that we offer many services FREE of charge so, should you have questions, we encourage you to give us a call at 646-820-9202 and speak with one of our Senior Care Consultants. They will be able to answer any questions you might have to begin the process of providing whatever assistance you might need.
Should you have an experience in elder law that will be of assistance to our other readers and would like to share, please contact us directly.
