Published: July 18, 2008 10:57 am      

Luncheon honors seniors' protectors

DANVILLE — A group of unsung heroes received the recognition they deserve at a luncheon Tuesday at CRIS Senior Services.

The luncheon was in conjunction with Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s proclamation of July as Elder Abuse Awareness Month.

CRIS Director of Senior Protective Services Joyce Latoz invited community members in Danville and Vermilion County who help keep seniors safe.

Guests included volunteers with several different organizations, including CRIS, members of the CRIS staff and community members who have made elder abuse a specific focus of their work.

Members of law enforcement dominated the last group, but representatives from many other fields were in attendance.

“These are people who’ve reported or responded to reports of elder abuse,” Latoz said about the guests. “They have identified the concern and helped heal the physical or emotional wounds. They have provided assistance or services for the victim once the abuser was removed.

“They are a multidisciplinary team,” she said.

Kelly Freed, a Danville attorney, has helped victims of elder abuse for years.

“We all realize that children need protection,” Freed said. “But seniors often do, too.

“It’s different and more difficult at times with the seniors. (Unlike children) they’ve had power and been independent. Some recognize that they need help, but some resist it. That happens most often when the abuser is someone close to them, a family member.”

Freed said guardianship is often the focus of the help he provides to seniors.

“Either it’s in place and being abused, or it’s needed,” he said.

Nancy Palmer, money management program coordinator for CRIS, said financial assistance takes many different forms.

“With some people, we just need to make sure their bills are paid,” she said. “So does financial abuse.”

CRIS money management volunteer Rachel Heron, retired president of First Financial Bank- Ridge Farm, agreed.

“Financial abuse can include anything from sweepstakes to home repair fraud,” she said.

Most commonly, though, financial abuse is the result of someone trying to gain control of an older person’s money. According to statistics, that person looking to profit is most often a relative of the victim.

As with cases of child abuse, certain people are mandated reporters when elder abuse is suspected. But any member of the general public can report as well.

Michael O’Donnell, executive director of East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging, who attended the luncheon, called CRIS a very effective partner in raising awareness of elder abuse.

“The state slogan on this issue is ‘Break the Silence,’” O’Donnell said. “We receive about 10,000 reports of elder abuse per year, but we believe there are far more. It’s underreported,”



TO REPORT ELDER ABUSE

To report elder abuse, call CRIS at 443-2999 and ask for an elder abuse caseworker or call the Elder Abuse Hotline 24 hours a day at 1-866-800-1409.