As baby boomers and Gen Xers reach their senior years, more of them require friends, family, or professional caregivers to help them manage illnesses or injuries and complete daily tasks. Sadly, this is accompanied by rising rates of elder abuse, including in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Are you a senior citizen experiencing abuse, or do you know someone who is? Getting justice can be difficult, especially if you don’t have a knowledgeable and determined legal team on your side. To change that, call the LLF Law Firm Family Law Team today at 888.535.3686 or fill out this contact form.
Facts About Elder Abuse in Montgomery County
From 2017 to 2022, the annual deaths of senior adults in Pennsylvania skyrocketed from 120 to nearly 1,400, which “is more than a tenfold increase.” The state’s Department of Aging claims that they were legally prevented from checking records for causes of death, but that they had no reason to conclude that elder abuse was driving the new statistic. After all, between COVID-19 and the growing number of citizens entering their golden years, deaths would inevitably increase.
Nevertheless, legislators are pushing for clarity, explanations, and action to protect the elderly from premature demises. There’s a real possibility that elder abuse could be revealed as a common culprit. According to local studies by the Domestic Violence Legal Network, at least one in ten senior citizens experiences some type of abuse in Montgomery County alone.
According to those same studies, caretakers are most frequently the abusers, motivated by the extreme stress, anxiety, and depression that comes with the job. Physical, mental, and financial abuse seem to be most common, but neglect and sexual abuse occur as well. Common signs of elder abuse include:
- Bed sores, bruises, broken bones, and other injuries
- Malnourishment
- Dangerous or unhealthy living environment
- Poor hygiene
- Isolation
- Mood swings, depression, confusion, or other mental ailments
- Unusual, abrupt, and/or out-of-character actions and decisions, such as signing over ownership of a house to someone else
Where and How Should You Report Elder Abuse in Montgomery County?
Pennsylvania has an Adult Protective Services (APS) Law and a program to go with it. However, the Department of Aging maintains the Older Adult Protective Services team (OAPS) specifically to address elder abuse cases. They should be your first call if you suspect that a senior you know is a victim.
Montgomery County’s OAPS encourages concerned citizens to call their hotline at 1-800-734-2020 to submit reports. Alternatively, you can visit them in the county’s Office of Aging Services, located at:
DeKalb Center Norristown
1430 Dekalb St., 2nd Fl
Norristown, PA 19404
After you make a report, the OAPS will launch an investigation. If they find evidence of abuse, they might seek to resolve the matter by providing the victim with temporary emergency shelter, assistance with finances and personal care, and legal services. They may also inform local law enforcement about the situation so that the police can file criminal charges against the perpetrator(s).
What to Do After Reporting Elder Abuse
Remember that reporting elder abuse is seldom enough on its own to get justice. Investigations and trials might ultimately fail to hold the perpetrators responsible. It’s imperative that you collaborate with the LLF Family Law Team as well. These are the benefits that they can offer:
Top-Notch Legal Services and Communication
Since the OAPS often helps abused seniors find and access legal services, the LLF Law Firm Family Law Team can partner with them and take on your loved one’s case. With their remarkable talent for fusing proven strategies with customized approaches, your loved one will get exactly the support that they need in court. You’ll find relief in the LLF Law Firm’s reliability and legal prowess.
Consistent Communication
The OAPS won’t update you about the progress or results of their investigation. Even lawyers are usually barred from obtaining information about cases that aren’t theirs.
However, if the LLF Law Firm Family Law Team represents your senior loved one, they’ll make sure to keep you in the loop about its developments and what the victim needs to win. Their communication will help ease your mind and prepare you for everything pertinent to the case.
Assistance with Next Steps
Investigations and trials can take months or even years. Your senior loved one will need peace and protection in the meantime.
That’s where a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order can come in handy. The LLF Law Firm Family Law Team is familiar with obtaining a PFA order and can walk you through the process to ensure that it’s filed properly. It could be crucial for sparing the victim from additional harm so that they can focus on healing and moving forward.
If law enforcement drags its feet about filing criminal charges against your loved one’s abuser, the LLF Law Firm Family Law Team can assist with that, too. While they can’t directly or independently file charges, they can advocate to the district attorney on behalf of your loved one and hopefully expedite the process.
Commitment to the Case
Elder abuse can be tricky to prove and prosecute. Nevertheless, the LLF Law Firm Family Law Team is always ready to tackle the challenge. Drawing upon years of experience and skill that have earned them nationwide renown, they’ll work tirelessly and relentlessly to make sure your senior loved one is safe and treated fairly.
The LLF Law Firm Will Fight for You
Every senior citizen in Montgomery County deserves respect and dignity for all that they have contributed to the world. None of them should suffer physically or emotionally at the hands of those who should care for them. The LLF Law Firm believes strongly in standing up for victims of elder abuse, so call them today at 888.535.3686 or fill out this contact form to schedule a consultation.