Only Four Percent of Elder Financial Abuse Cases Reported; LA Deputy D.A. Writes

28 March 2006

San Rafael, CA (PRWEB) March 27, 2006 -- In an article to be published April 1 on the http://www.parents-care.com [Parent Care caregiver website], Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Leal Gowen relates that as many as 5 million elderly people nationwide are victims of financial exploitation each year, with ominous trends as the senior segment of the population explodes. The article will be featured throughout the month.

Gowen cautions that the number of elderly at risk actually is much higher, as only an estimated four percent of cases are reported because most of these abusers are well known to their victims - as friends, caretakers, or family members. The «inside job» factor makes abuse difficult to discover or accept.

That five-million figure does not include other types of abuse endured by seniors - physical, emotional or sexual abuse nor the neglect suffered by many.

Per Gowen, «It's a rich demographic. Americans over the age of 50 currently control 70% of the nation's wealth. And as they age, they may become more vulnerable, physically and mentally. Not surprisingly, these elderly often are the targets of con artists, and too frequently, of dangerous crooks stealing their money, neglecting them, or physically abusing them. Sadly, most of these abusers are well known to their victims - as friends, caretakers, or family members. How do we keep our senior parents safe?»

Gowen offers some preventative/remedial steps that seniors' progeny can take: Aware, Beware, Understand, Stop, Elderly… ABUSE.

For more information: The article is available to all Parent Care subscribers, a national Internet information service for long distance caregivers. Clients are baby boomers faced with assisting elderly parents remotely.

As the nation's only dedicated information service for long-distance caregivers, Parent Care is a unique web site that delivers comprehensive national, state and local resources to the computer desktops of the country's millions of remote eldercare providers. The service includes access to monthly feature articles written by experts on important issues affecting today's seniors. Subscribers are invited to e-mail the authors with personal questions, and participate in scheduled chat rooms with other subscribers.

For media: For access to the full article, and for interviews with LA. County D.A. Gowen and/or Parent Care founder William Gillis, please contact Parent Care senior editor Carey Sweet.

About Parent Care: For about a dime a day, each Parent Care subscriber receives a personalized home page with one-click access to services in the county where the senior parent resides. An eight to 10 page report also provides a detailed summary of local services, supplemented by national and state senior services. The service provides links to free prescription medication programs, rebate forms, checklists to enhance parents' future safety and independence, seasonal information, monthly articles on eldercare topics, weekly chats with peers, daily eldercare tips, and 24/7 senior news.

http://www.parents-care.com [Parent Care] is the leading provider of eldercare information to the nation's seven million long distance caregivers and the firms that employ them. Parent Care, The Parent Care Report and The Parent Care Channel are registered trademarks of the firm.

About L.A. County Deputy D.A. Jennifer Leal Gowen: Ms. Gowen is a longtime Deputy District Attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Since 2003, she has been assigned to the Elder Abuse Unit, where she specializes in prosecuting crimes against the county's one million elderly residents and dependent adults. Prior to her current position, Ms. Gowen served as a Deputy Attorney General in the State of California Department of Justice. In addition to abuse prosecutions, she devotes significant time and energy presenting countywide educational seminars to the elderly, senior care facilities, social workers and law enforcement agencies. Ms. Gowen completed her undergraduate studies at Pomona College in 1992 and was awarded her Juris Doctor by the University of Santa Clara in 1996.

Source: prweb

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