The City of Nampa and Nampa Family Justice Center join communities around the world to promote National Elder Abuse Awareness Month in June.
This year, in addition to a variety of social media posts with information, stories, and resources on elder abuse awareness, the Nampa Family Justice Center will be holding an inaugural walk. On Friday, June 24, the community is invited to participate in a one-half mile walk called “Lean on Me” where together we can prevent elder abuse. The walk will start at 1 p.m. at the Nampa Family Justice Center, located at 1305 3rd St. S., and walk to the Nampa Public Library where there will be live music from “The Misfit Army”, resource booths and ice cream! Participants will also hear from Nampa Family Justice Center Elder Program Coordinator Alyssa Groen and the Nampa Police Department.
According to the National Council on Aging, approximately one in ten Americans aged 60 and over experience some form of elder abuse. As many as five million elders are abused each year. The cost of financial exploitation of elders goes far beyond the money loss, which the U.S. Department of Justice estimates $36.5 billion is lost each year. Financial exploitation triples the risk of premature death for elders with increased depression, nursing home and hospital admissions. Fewer than one in 24 cases ever get reported.
Since 2012, the Nampa Family Justice Center has been serving victims of elder abuse and financial exploitation. Lana McCullough, one of the first elder advocates at the Nampa Family Justice Center and now a volunteer, shared, “At least 10 percent of elders suffer, often in silence, after being threatened, coerced, isolated, neglected, manipulated and much worse. This is happening in plain sight to your neighbor, aunt, grandmother, or church member, often times by the people closest to them. As a community, we can wrap our elders into our lives and surround them with positive and caring people. They deserve our protection.”
We invite the community to participate in the monthly activities to help promote elder abuse awareness, wear purple on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15 and join us on the “Lean on Me” walk June 24 at 1 p.m. to show concern and care for the elderly in our community.
