Elder abuse cases rise again in Virginia

Daily Press - 3/5/2019

March 05-- Mar. 5--Abuse and neglect of elderly and disabled Virginians rose again last year, the state's Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services reported Tuesday.

Proven cases rose 9 percent during fiscal year 2018, with some 11,924 Virginians suffering some kind of neglect or physical, mental or financial abuse. Cases were up 12 percent in fiscal 2017.

But the problem is probably much worse, said Del. Mike Mullin, D-Newport News, who successfully pushed the General Assembly to tighten Virginia's law on adult abuse.

"Elder abuse, like sexual abuse, is one of the least reported crimes," said Mullin, a former prosecutor who specialized in domestic abuse and juvenile cases.

"It's always somebody else's problem, so it becomes nobody's problem," he said.

Mullin said he's worried Virginia's patchwork approach to social services leaves too many people to fall through the cracks.

"It's not always easy to ferret out what's going on," he said. "Social workers are overworked with huge caseloads."

He said the Peninsula's new multi-disciplinary team on adult abuse, which brings together social workers, police, prosecutors, financial experts and doctors to dig into difficult cases, is an approach that could help statewide.

"These issues aren't easy to fix; it's not something we're going to solve with a a bill, we're not going to solve it with just another $1 million," said state Sen. Monty Mason, D-Williamsburg.

He said Virginia needs to take a serious look at what services the elderly and disabled get -- especially since the largest number of cases that involve adult protective services are those of self-neglect.

He said one good sign, suggesting that Virginians are more aware of the issue, is the department's report that allegations of abuse rose even faster than substantiated cases.

"We believe the growth in reports suggest that people recognize signs of adult abuse and are increasingly willing to speak out over concerns about the welfare of a family member, neighbor or friend," Paige McCleary, director of the department's Adult Protective Services Division, said in a statement.

Of the substantiated cases, social workers found more than 7,100 involved self-neglect, while another nearly 2,500 involved neglect by others. Nearly 800 involved physical abuse and more than 700 involved mental abuse.

Cases of financial exploitation jumped by 26 percent compared to the year before, to more than 1,750. Cases of sexual abuse jumped by 41 percent, to 89.

Abuse of elderly, disabled adults

Here's a look at total complaints of abuse or neglect of elderly and disabled adults; generally about half are substantiated.

Locality ... No. of reports

Accomack ... 166

Chesapeake ... 1,387

Franklin city ... 9

Gloucester ... 215

Hampton ... 302

Isle of Wight ... 125

James City ... 367

Mathews ... 72

Newport News ... 758