BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Last year in Kern County there were more than 6,000 reports of elder abuse. June 15 is Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and Director of Kern County Aging and Adult Services Jeremy Oliver says the actual number of instances is likely much higher.
"For every instance that gets reported, there are about 24 instances that are not reported, so it is a vastly underreported problem," said Oliver.
According to Oliver, elder abuse is a rising issue throughout the state, mainly due to the rising senior population. According to the California Department of Aging, there are currently more than 159,000 Kern County residents over the age of 60. That number is expected to increase by 25 percent by 2030, making this the fastest-growing segment of the population.
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Because of that, Oliver says we'll likely see abuse numbers increase as well, and it's important to know the signs. Abuse can take many forms, not just physical, but also financial, neglectful, and even sexual abuse.
Oliver says many of the calls AAS receives are in response to scams, but perpetrators of abuse can come in many forms.
"Caregivers are a primary abuser in a lot of these situations. On top of that, we have self-neglect categories, and that could be a self-neglect issue that they're just not paying their bills or not making sure everything's getting taken care of like it used to be," said Oliver.
On June 15, Aging and Adult Services, along with the Kern County Commission on Aging, the Kern County District Attorney's Office, and Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services will hold a conference at Hodel's Country Dining located at 5917 Knudsen Drive in Northwest Bakersfield. There will be resources and speakers, including Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood and Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer.
