Amberly’s Place urges public to be on the lookout for elder abuse
Advocates ask people to help protect this vulnerable part of the population
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - According to the Director of Development Trevor Umphress at Amberly's Place a victim advocacy center 1 in 10 senior citizens are victimized each year. Out of those, 1 in 24 report the crime.
That's why the United Nations designated June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and June as World Elder Abuse Awareness Month.
During the month of June, victim advocacy groups, law enforcement and other entities saturate their communities with information. Basically, calling on family members of senior citizens and the public in general to be alert and report suspected elder abuse.
Elder abuse can be physical, psychological as well as financial. Scam artists target the elderly, leaving many in financial ruin.
Unphress urges family members to be on high alert, monitoring any change in their personality and look for any bruising. He simply says to ask loved ones if there are any issues.
Amberly's Place was created and designed to minimize the victimization of those affected by abuse. The advocacy group provides a comfortable setting where testing and information can be gathered with minimal distress to the victims.
On June 15, 2021, countries around the world will have presentations to educate the public on what to look out for. In the U.S. the Social Security Administration will host a virtual event on their facebook page.
