Often at times we come across routine crimes that we choose to stay silent about because of the complications it might add for us. Like witnessing someone shoplift, or someone bullying someone. Such crimes need to be reported to create a balanced law and order in the country, but mostly they go unnoticed.
But, there are people around us who can’t turn their heads to a crime happening. If they know a woman was harassed, they wouldn’t be afraid to publicly stand up for her, or if they overhear a conversation about robbing a store, they would be the first ones to report to the police.
Have you ever heard about crimes against the elderly? There are so many people around us who take the elderly for granted maybe because they’re physically weak and mentally slow. If you ever witness a crime against the elderly, would you report? I think you would. But how?
Let’s get into details about what elder abuse is and how to go about reporting it.
Elder Abuse
Seniors today are abused in so many ways, and it’s all the matter of looking around you and seeing how common it is. People take their state of mind for granted and manipulate or force them against their will. Here are the most common types of elder abuse that your seniors around you may silently be going through:
Physical Abuse: These include acts of physically harming an old person by hitting them or assaulting them causing injuries, impairment or even bruises. This also includes forcefully giving them drugs or substance against their will.
Emotional Abuse: Opting non-violent methods of threatening, yelling or blaming them for minute things. This ruins their mental health as they’re constantly the victim of psychological abuse. This also includes ignoring or neglecting them which takes a toll on their mental peace.
Sexual Abuse: Harassing or violating a senior’s privacy counts as sexual abuse. Even wanting to engage in sexual activity with a senior without their consent is abuse and lots of seniors go through this manipulation every day.
Financial Exploitation: This includes forcing them into giving out money for fake purposes, or manipulating them into handing out their fortune. There are so many examples of how they’re exploited financially.
Healthcare Abuse: All seniors need some kind of medicinal care when they reach a certain age, and often they are victims of healthcare abuse. Overcharging them for medicines, overmedicating or undermedicating them, giving them harmful drugs or recommending them harmful remedies for illnesses comes under healthcare abuse.
Elder Financial Exploitation
One of the major ways that the elderly are exploited is financially, and that too by their children or some other family member. They are taken for granted for their property of their fortune and are often made fools out of because they might not understand how the current world finances work.
Common examples of elder financial exploitation is investment fraud, often the elderly are fooled by strangers who promise them high investment returns and often the company turns out to be fake too. Moreover, they are also asked to pay for charities and donations to a non-existent organization, and it’s long enough until they realize they’ve been played with.
Often family members exploit their elders by repeatedly taking loans from them and never paying back, or simply taking their property because ‘they’re too old to retaliate’. Mostly children give away or sell elder’s possessions without their permission or even force them to sign on papers for property inheritance. If the parents are too rigid, children often forge signatures on documents to get what they want.
There are so many examples about financial crimes against the elderly, where their hard-earned money is being misused and often stolen from them. This is always the cause of seniors’ vulnerability, or simply their love and respect for their family members that they repeatedly choose to give in for the sake of their happiness.
Elder Financial Abuse Laws by State
States try their best to protect the rights of seniors from being misused at the hands of scammers by passing laws. According to the 2018 legislation, these are the bills passed that protect seniors from financial abuse.
Laws against taking advantage of the elderly:
STATE | BILL NUMBER |
Alabama | H.J.R. 254
Signed by governor 4/6/18, Act 575,, |
Alaska | H.B. 170
Signed by governor 7/24/18, Chapter 65 |
Alaska | H.B. 336
Signed by governor 9/27/18, Chapter 108 |
Arizona | None |
Arkansas | None |
California | A.B. 329
Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution 2/1/18 |
California | A.B. 502
Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution 2/1/18 |
California | A.B. 2159 |
California | A.B. 2236
Signed by governor 7/18/18, Chapter 126 |
California | A.B. 2744 |
California | A.CR. 238
Adopted 8/17/18, Resolution Chapter 135 |
California | S.B. 1191
Signed by governor 9/18/18, Chapter 513 |
California | S.C.R. 140
Adopted 6/27/18, Resolution Chapter 110 |
Colorado | None |
Connecticut | H.B. 5244
Passed House 4/25/18 |
Connecticut | S.B. 474 |
Delaware | H.B. 103
Signed by governor 5/9/18, Chapter 237 |
Delaware | H.B. 332
Signed by governor 8/29/18, Chapter 387 |
Delaware | H.B. 362
Signed by governor 7/23/18, Chapter 343 |
Delaware | H.C.R. 89
Adopted 6/5/18 |
District of Columbia | B22-422 |
District of Columbia | B22-838 |
Florida | H.B. 681
Died in committee 3/10/18 |
Florida | H.B. 1059
Signed by governor 3/23/18, Chapter 100 |
Florida | H.B. 1187
Signed by governor 3/21/18, Chapter 68 Substituted 3/5/18 |
Florida | H.B. 6057
Substituted 2/20/18 Signed by governor 3/19/18, Chapter 20 |
Florida | S.B. 500
Died in committee 3/10/18 |
Florida | S.B. 662
Died on calendar 3/10/18 |
Florida | S.B. 1562
Tabled 3/6/18 |
Georgia | H.B. 635
Signed by governor 5/7/18, Act 418 |
Georgia | H.B. 896 |
Guam | Not available |
Hawaii | H.B. 432
Passed House 3/7/17 |
Hawaii | H.B. 1759 |
Hawaii | H.B. 1858 |
Idaho | H.B. 347
Signed by governor 3/12/18, Chapter 56 |
Illinois | H.B. 4301 |
Illinois | H.B. 4867
Signed by governor 8/1/18, Public Act 100-659 |
Illinois | H.B. 5497
Signed by governor 8/10/18, Public Act 100-778 |
Illinois | H.R. 846
Adopted 5/10/18 |
Illinois | H.R. 897
Adopted 5/17/18 |
Illinois | S.B. 1409
Passed House 5/4/17 |
Illinois | S.B. 3621 |
Indiana | None |
Iowa | H.F. 2105
Became H.F. 2402 2/27/18 |
Iowa | H.F. 2402 |
Iowa | H.F. 2449
Signed by governor 3/28/18, Chapter 1048 |
Kansas | None |
Kentucky | H.B. 5
Signed by governor 3/13/18, Act 13 |
Kentucky | H.B. 11
Signed by governor 4/26/18, Act 185 |
Kentucky | H.B. 126 |
Kentucky | H.J.R. 33
Signed by governor 4/2/18, Act 52 |
Louisiana | H.B. 503
Signed by governor 5/23/18, Act 434 |
Louisiana | H.B. 505 |
Louisiana | H.B. 594 |
Louisiana | S.B. 355 |
Maine | L.D. 968
Vetoed by governor 4/17/18 Veto overridden 4/17/18, Chapter 390 |
Maryland | H.B. 956 |
Maryland | H.B. 1483
Signed by governor 4/24/18, Chapter 287 |
Massachusetts | H.B. 334 |
Massachusetts | H.B. 817 |
Massachusetts | H.B. 842 |
Massachusetts | H.B. 2346 |
Massachusetts | H.B. 2895 |
Massachusetts | H.B. 3027 |
Massachusetts | S.B. 76 |
Massachusetts | S.B. 1177 |
Michigan | H.B. 5813
Signed by governor 12/27/18, Public Act 617 |
Michigan | H.B. 5949 |
Michigan | H.R. 360
Adopted 6/5/18 |
Minnesota | H.F. 3138 |
Minnesota | H.F. 3308 |
Minnesota | H.F. 3468 |
Minnesota | H.F. 3833
Signed by governor 5/19/18, Chapter 161 Indefinitely postponed 4/26/18 |
Minnesota | H.F. 4018 |
Minnesota | H.F. 4109 |
Minnesota | H.F. 4073 |
Minnesota | H.F. 4099
Vetoed by governor 5/23/18 |
Minnesota | H.F. 4224 |
Minnesota | H.F. 4275 |
Minnesota | H.F. 4451 |
Minnesota | H.F. 4457 |
Minnesota | H.F. 4458 |
Mississippi | H.B. 979
Died in committee 1/30/18 |
Mississippi | H.B. 1028
Passed House 2/1/18 |
Mississippi | S.B. 2460
Vetoed by governor 3/26/18 |
Missouri | H.B. 1553 |
Missouri | H.B. 1829 |
Missouri | S.B. 806
Signed by governor 6/1/18 |
Montana | No 2018 legislative session |
Nebraska | None |
Nevada | No 2018 legislative session |
New Hampshire | H.B. 1807
Signed by governor 6/25/18, Chapter 308 |
New Jersey | A.B. 196 |
New Jersey | A.B. 699 |
New Jersey | A.B. 701 |
New Jersey | A.B. 824 |
New Jersey | A.B. 2522 |
New Jersey | A.B. 3167 |
New Jersey | S.B. 216 |
New Jersey | S.B. 1049 |
New Mexico | S.B. 19
Signed by governor 2/28/18, Chapter 10 |
New York | A.B. 6099 |
New York | A.B. 6395
Passed Assembly 3/20/18 |
New York | A.B. 8629
Passed Senate 6/5/17 Passed Senate 6/4/18 |
New York | S.B. 660 |
New York | S.B. 1093 |
New York | S.B. 2171 |
New York | S.B. 7224 |
North Carolina | None |
North Dakota | No 2018 legislative session |
N. Mariana Islands | Not available |
Ohio | H.B. 597 |
Ohio | H.B. 648 |
Ohio | S.B. 158
Signed by governor 12/19/18, Chapter 129 |
Ohio | S.B. 290 |
Oklahoma | S.B. 993
Signed by governor 5/10/18, Chapter 308 |
Oregon | None |
Pennsylvania | H.B. 2455 |
Pennsylvania | H.B. 2549 |
Pennsylvania | H.B. 2579 |
Pennsylvania | H.B. 2581 |
Pennsylvania | H.B. 2655 |
Pennsylvania | H.B. 2687 |
Pennsylvania | S.B. 899 |
Puerto Rico | S.B. 1023 |
Puerto Rico | S.B. 870 |
Rhode Island | H.B. 7498 |
Rhode Island | H.B. 7992
Passed House 5/29/18 |
Rhode Island | H.B. 8031 |
Rhode Island | S.B. 2307 |
Rhode Island | S.B. 2868 |
South Carolina | S.B. 1041
Signed by governor 5/3/18, Act 162 |
South Dakota | H.B. 1204
Passed House 2/20/18 |
Tennessee | H.B. 941
Substituted 3/12/18 Signed by governor 4/2/18, Public Chapter 605 |
Tennessee | H.B. 2177 |
Tennessee | H.B. 2159
Signed by governor 5/21/18, Public Chapter 1050 Substituted 4/24/18 |
Texas | No 2018 legislative session |
Utah | S.B. 88
Signed by governor 3/16/18, Chapter 159 |
Vermont | None |
Virginia | H.B. 216 |
Virginia | H.B. 304
Signed by governor 3/19/18, Chapter 299 |
Virginia | H.B. 406 |
Virginia | H.B. 477 |
Virginia | H.B. 1494 |
Virginia | H.B. 850
Signed by governor 2/26/18, Chapter 19 Signed by governor 3/5/18, Chapter 188 |
Washington | H.B. 1139
Passed House 2/1/17 Indefinitely postponed 2/22/18 |
Washington | H.B. 2343
Passed House 2/7/18 Indefinitely postponed 2/22/18 |
Washington | H.B. 2923 |
Washington | S.B. 5577
Indefinitely postponed 1/25/18 |
West Virginia | H.B. 2432 |
West Virginia | H.B. 2976 |
Wisconsin | A.B. 51
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 3/28/18 |
Wisconsin | A.B. 629
Signed by governor 4/3/18, Act 187 |
Wisconsin | S.B. 60
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 3/28/18 |
Wisconsin | S.B. 518
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 3/28/18 |
Wyoming | None |
Note: Sample data has been extracted online, courtesy of National Conference of State Legislatures.
Reporting Crime against the Elderly
Now that you know your state particularly protects the rights of seniors against scammers who may want to obtain their property and money through manipulation, the next step is to try to protect elders yourself.
The best you can do is to report the crime against a senior. But how to report crime against the elderly?
If the crime you witness is immediate and life-threatening, like a senior going through physical or sexual abuse by someone, you can simply call 911 and complain there. If the abuse you witness is a financial fraud, or you see someone continuously yelling or manipulating them for money or for any agenda, you can lodge a complaint online as well as by phone.
You can reach the Eldercare Locator by telephone at 1-800-677-1116. Specially trained operators will refer you to a local agency that can help. The Eldercare Locator is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
Or if you want to lodge a complaint online, you can go through the official website of your state and write on the portal. They will get back to you as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Most of us can’t turn our heads away if we witness crime, and that should be the norm too. It’s not always the major crimes like murder or theft, but the routine ones that are often too subtle to notice. Look around and look out for seniors. They may be too weak or unstable to fight back, but you can.
If you witness a physical, emotional, sexual or financial crime against an elderly, report it! You just have to call on the helpline and lodge a complaint, and if it is possible, talk to the police and report the crime.
About time we stood up for those who can’t stand up for themselves!