AARP Helping to Fight Elder Abuse

Statistics from the National Council on Aging show that 1 in 10 Americans 60 and older have experienced elder abuse, and there is broad consensus that the crime is significantly underreported.

That’s why AARP New Jersey is working with other organizations on a recently created state Task Force on Abuse Against the Elderly and Disabled. The task force will develop policy proposals to reduce elder abuse, including mental, physical and financial exploitation. A key goal is to strengthen the capabilities of the state Adult Protective Services program to investigate allegations of elder abuse and to prosecute perpetrators.

Elder abuse can take many forms, and often the abuser is a family member. Financial abuse costs older Americans about $3 billion per year, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse.