Event brings to light elder abuse and opens discussion on protecting seniors

Representatives from several organizations congregated at the Laguna Beach Community & Susi Q Center Wednesday to discuss how to care and protect for seniors.

The event coincided with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, launched in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations.

The initiative encourages communities throughout the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect, according to the U.S. government’s National Center on Elder Abuse website.

Jo Ann Ekblad, Laguna Beach Seniors’ program and communications director, wanted to inform the public of the various agencies that strive to help a significant portion of Laguna’s population.

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Nearly 9,000 of Laguna Beach’s 22,723 residents in 2010 were 55 or older, according to the U.S. Census.

“Fraud is such a big story,” Ekblad said.

Seniors can be susceptible to healthcare and financial abuse.

As with social security numbers, officials caution seniors to protect their Medicare numbers. Medicare is the federal healthcare insurance program for people 65 and older and the disabled.

Seniors should make a copy of their Medicare card to take with them to appointments and file their original in a secure safe, said Shari Langer, education outreach specialist for the nonprofit Council on Aging — Orange County.

Langer advised seniors to cross out certain numbers on their copies so if they lose it, thieves will not be able to use the account number to impersonate the cardholder.

The council provides programs and services for more than 215,000 adults per year, including counseling to help people understand Medicare and maximize their benefits, and opportunities for isolated adults to socialize with others in their communities.

Another area seniors may need help with is preparing meals, to which the Laguna Woods-based nonprofit fills the need.

Age Well Senior Services delivers more than 300,000 annual meals to seniors who are either unable to prepare their own meals, or have little or no assistance to do so.

But in addition to providing food, agency volunteers have helped in other ways, Susan Hickok, Age Well’s home-delivered meals manager, said.

Hickok recalled a day when a volunteer dropped off food at a Laguna Beach woman’s home. The driver rang the doorbell and called the woman, but received no answer.

The volunteer opened the door and found the woman lying on the floor, unable to get up, Hickok said. The driver immediately called 911 and the woman eventually received necessary help.

Hickok said she was probably on the floor for a couple of hours.

“She had hit her head and had a little concussion,” Hickok said.

If a driver notices physical changes with a client, such as bruising, they should tell someone, Hickok said, adding Age Well staff works with the county’s Adult Protective Services agency to investigate possible abuse.

Age Well also serves lunch five days a week at 11 senior centers in Orange County, including the Susi Q.

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Bryce Alderton, [email protected]

Twitter: @AldertonBryce

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