LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has declared the week of May 16-20 as Elder Abuse Awareness Week in Michigan, specifically designating May 17 as Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

It is estimated that 80,000 Michigan citizens aged 60 and older are victims of elder abuse. As the aging population increases, by the year 2010 Michigan could be faced with over 100,000 cases of elder abuse.

"The safety and protection of vulnerable adults is critical to the well-being of Michigan families," Governor Jennifer M. Granholm said. "Many of these citizens are dependent on others for their care and this makes them susceptible to abusive or neglectful treatment. As one of our most important natural resources, elderly and disabled people deserve our utmost attention and respect."

The Michigan Department of Human Services houses the state's Adult Protective Services (APS) program. More than 10,000 referrals were received in calendar year 2004 by the state's APS program, and the APS average caseload nearly doubled from fiscal year 1993 to fiscal year 2004. APS caseworkers are dedicated to ensuring adults in need of protection are living in a safe and stable situation including legal intervention, where required, in the least intrusive or restrictive manner possible.

"Our APS caseworkers arrange services to reduce or eliminate the abusive or neglectful situation," Marianne Udow, Michigan Department of Human Services director, said. "Competent clients have the right to refuse services, but caseworkers can seek a court order to protect personal health and safety of citizens who are in danger or unable to consent to being helped. It is important that we make sure all people who are elderly or have disabilities are valued and protected. I urge you to report the suspected abuse or neglect of an older adult or person with a disability by calling the toll-free, 24-hour, Vulnerable Adult HelpLine at 1-800-996-6228."

Elder abuse and neglect is a serious problem and it is defined in a variety of ways: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, neglect, abandonment, financial or material exploitation and self neglect. Elder abuse can affect people of all ethnic backgrounds and social status and can affect both men and women in facilities or in private homes. With the leadership of the Governor and her commitment to protecting vulnerable adults, the Office of Services to the Aging (OSA) is working closely with state and local agencies to raise awareness of the issue to better protect our at-risk elders.

"It is estimated that 80,000 Michigan seniors are victims of elder abuse," OSA director Sharon L. Gire said. "Through OSA's efforts, and the work of our partner agencies, we hope to keep the public informed about the signs and risks of elder abuse and encourage reporting of suspected cases."

The Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Services (OFIS) staff routinely investigates financial exploitation of Michigan seniors. OFIS staff help educate consumers about this exploitation. The more informed seniors are about financial matters, the less likely they are to fall victim to unscrupulous sales scams and schemes.

"Because they have built a lifetime of savings, seniors continue to face investment fraud by con artists peddling products that are either fraudulent or unsuitable for them based on their particular financial needs," OFIS Commissioner Linda A. Watters said. "This month, we will showcase the financial abuses that seniors face and boost awareness of these efforts to defraud our older Michigan citizens."

Elder Abuse Awareness Week is a time to reflect on what we are doing as a community to support people who are elderly or have disabilities. We all have opportunities to reach out to our families, friends, neighbors, places of worship and places of employment. During this recognition week, Michigan residents are encouraged to protect the future of our communities by ensuring the protection of our elderly and disabled citizens.

"The Michigan State Police is committed to working with our community partners on a number of initiatives to protect senior citizens from the criminals who prey on them," Col. Tadarial J. Sturdivant, director of the Michigan State Police, said. "With the number of senior citizens on the rise in our state, law enforcement needs the tools to protect these vulnerable adults, and that starts with training, education and awareness."

• For more information about the elder abuse, visit the Office of Services to the Aging Web site at www.miseniors.net.
• For more information about financial exploitation of senior citizens, visit the Office of Financialand Insurance Services Web site at www.michigan.gov/cis.
• For more information about Adult Protective Services, visit the Department of Human Services Web site at www.michigan.gov/dhs.