It’s Elder Abuse Awareness month, and Louisiana Elderly Protective Services is reminding you to look for signs of elder abuse. Program Manager Ebony Thomas-Phillips says abuse includes physical, sexual, financial, medical and even caretaker abuse.
“In a way that they’re not cared for; Those obvious types of symptoms: They’re not fed properly, there’s not enough food in the home, not enough nourishment for them, those types of things,” Thomas-Phillips noted.
Thomas-Phillips says her office investigates over 5,000 cases of elder abuse each year. She says if you suspect elder abuse, call 833-577-6532.
“We’re not asking that you have any evidence of it; in fact, we don’t want you to try and investigate it first. We want you to give up that information and let our trained staff go into those homes and find out what is actually occurring,” Thomas-Phillips explained.
Thomas-Phillips says elderly citizens are also often the targets of scams and can be exploited by those who abuse the power of attorney. She says it’s important to educate elderly family members on how to protect themselves from scams and look out for their well-being.
“Be aware. Be diligent and concerned about our senior population. Make sure you’re checking in on those individuals. If you see something, say something,” Thomas-Phillips urged.
More information can be found at the Louisiana Department of Health website, ldh.la.gov.
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