Orange County marks elder abuse awareness day, highlights local resources

Physical, emotional and financial abuse can hide in Orange County homes and care settings, and officials say older adults too often suffer in silence until the damage is severe. Ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, the county is steering residents to the Office for the Aging and the Department of Social Services to report concerns and connect seniors with support.

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus used the county’s proclamation to say seniors have spent their lives contributing to Orange County and deserve dignity, safety and respect. Danielle Diana-Smith, director of the Orange County Office for the Aging, said, “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day reminds us that every older adult deserves to live with dignity, safety, and respect.” The aging office says it serves the county’s senior population, their families and caregivers, and works with Social Services year-round to prevent abuse, respond to concerns and connect seniors with support.

The scale of the problem reaches far beyond one county. The New York State Office for the Aging says elder abuse tragically impacts many adults age 60 and older in New York and estimates that about 300,000 older New Yorkers are victimized annually. State research also says that for every reported case of elder abuse, another 23 are never reported to authorities who can help. The New York State Coalition on Elder Abuse says its network includes more than 1,900 individuals, organizations and government agencies working together to protect older adults from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

That is why Orange County is urging people in Goshen, Newburgh, Middletown, Port Jervis, Monroe and elsewhere to pay attention when something does not look right. County departments also take the message into community events across the county, where staff members help residents recognize the signs of elder abuse, learn how to report concerns and identify services that can keep older adults safe and supported.

The observance is global and practical at the same time. The United Nations says World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed each June 15, is meant to draw attention to neglect, abuse and the rights and dignity of older persons. Orange County is using that message to push a simple point: when abuse, neglect or exploitation surfaces, the Office for the Aging and the Department of Social Services are the first local stops before a situation turns criminal or life-threatening.