The number of baby boomers retiring in the near future will hold steady at 10,000 people per day until at least 2030. This represents a significant shift in the overall demographics of the country. One of the more disturbing aspects of this aging of America is the rise in elder abuse that is becoming far too common around the country.
Studies show that about 2 million elderly people reported being victimized or abused in some manner last year, but experts say that this number is probably widely unrepresentative of the actual number of abuse events that occur. Because elderly people are often reluctant to report abuse, or unable to do so, experts in the field say that as many as one out of 10 elderly people might actually have been subjected to some kind of abuse.
What makes the subject even more difficult is that people don’t often know how to spot elder abuse, or even recognize the different types. For example, many people believe that elder abuse is physical in nature, but psychological, emotional, and financial abuse is just as common.
In a financial abuse situation, for example, an elderly person might have his or her identity stolen by family members as they open fraudulent accounts in the elderly person’s name.
Regardless of the type of abuse that is occurring, if you suspect you have been victimized, or believe a family member or loved one has suffered abuse, you should contact your estate planning attorney as soon as possible.