Dozens of people marched along the Plymouth waterfront Thursday morning for an Elder Abuse Awareness March.
Terri Kourtz is the Protective Services Director at Old Colony Elder Services. Unfortunately, elder abuse is more common than people think.
“Some of the signs and symptoms, things that I would recommend, is people checking in on their seniors, family members, their neighbors, just to see how things are going,” said Kourtz. “If they notice any kind of change in their behavior, in their appearance, that might be an indicator that something else is going on. If they exhibit confusion, if they have bruises that are unexplained, if they are fearful around someone, those are some of the red flags that I would look for.”
She said people can contact their local police department if people need help, or want to get help for a senior they know.
“What happens sometimes, is that people think other people are calling – and we don’t get any call. We need a call in order to assist, we need an intake to be able to investigate,” said Kourtz. “There is help, there’s an elder abuse hotline that we have for the state of Massachusetts and it’s 1-800-922-2275. That intake gets to the local protective service agency that will investigate elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, sexual abuse, and self-neglect.”
Among the marchers on Thursday were Christine Cawley and Elisa Nicoli.
“The thought of an elderly person being abused is so horrible,” said Nicoli. “I think people are ashamed. Suppose and elderly woman’s son or daughter was abusing her? She doesn’t want people to know, so they keep it hidden, which isn’t good.”
Cawley, who works for an assisted living facility, was marching to represent the Plymouth Center for Active Living.
“It’s awesome,” Cawley said of the turnout. “Just being able to say I helped out and to bring awareness.”
Michelle Bratti is the Director of Elder Affairs for Plymouth, and the Center of Active Living.
Self-neglect is another concern, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That’s a form of abuse. So, not going to doctors, not getting prescriptions filled, not taking care of themselves nutritionally,” said Bratty. “When you combine those things in an elder body, it can lead to serious complications. That is something we want to avoid.”
Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz says in 2021, there were 308 arraignments in District Court, and 25 in Superior Court where the victim was an elder – per state laws, that’s someone 60 or older.
“I think it’s really an important thing,” Cruz said of elder abuse awareness. “Seniors are part of a booming population right now, and we need to make sure that we protect the seniors who have worked so hard in their lives. To make sure that they protect themselves physically, financially, emotionally — these walks talk about all of that, and trying to keep them safe.”
Sheriff Joe McDonald formerly served a special prosecutor for crimes against seniors and people with disabilities. There are resources throughout Plymouth County.
“It doesn’t always manifest itself in something that we can see. A lot of times, it’s what you perceive – not just with your eyes, but with your ears and your other senses. If somebody is perceiving a situation that they think may be abusive, they really ought to let someone in authority know,” said McDonald. “There are people at our office that you can call, the DA’s office, but even a better place, you can call Old Colony Elder Services. The state has something called the [Disabled Persons Protection Commission], they have special State Troopers assigned to that. The DA’s offices will specialize in investigating, and prosecuting instances of elder, senior abuse, and abuse of those with disabilities. We take it very seriously.”
More information can be found at ocesma.org/
