Helping Stop Elder Abuse

Carlos (not his real name) is an 85-year-old retiree who lives with his 80-year-old wife, Marta, who has Alzheimer’s. Although Carlos is a functional and healthy man, he found it difficult to run errands outside his home, such as shopping or going to the bank, for fear of leaving his wife alone.

Therefore, Carlos decided to give his niece an ATM debit card and authorized her to perform transactions with his bank account to help him with these errands. But Carlos started discovering strange transactions in his account. They were small withdrawals at first, and when he asked his niece, she said it was for gasoline and other expenses. She also told him that if he didn’t trust her, she would give the card back and stop helping him.

The withdrawals got bigger over time, and Carlos began to find other transactions from shoe stores, clothing stores, and restaurants. However, he was worried about losing his niece’s support and causing problems within the family, so he decided not to say anything.

This is a typical case of financial exploitation, one of the crimes classified as elder abuse in Law 121 of 2019, also known as the Bill of Rights for Elderly Persons. There are many types of abuse, and in Carlos’ case, we can also see intimidation. ‘Intimidation’ refers to the emotional influence exerted by Carlos’ niece to keep him from questioning the expenses she has made, for fear of losing her help.

The Bill of Rights for Elderly Persons establishes that elder abuse is cruel or negligent treatment that causes harm to the health, wellbeing, or property of a person who is 60 years of age or older. This includes the use of physical or psychological force, negligence, abandonment, institutional abuse, fraud, restriction of civil rights, obstruction of mail, among other things.

Aging is a natural process that is not synonymous with disease, but there is still a progressive loss of certain physiological functions that can eventually result in a greater dependence on others. As is the case of Carlos, this makes older adults into vulnerable targets for criminal behavior. And as if this were not enough, it can be extremely difficult and uncomfortable to confront family members, acquaintances, or strangers in order to stop the abuse.

Many people suffer in silence and do not dare communicate their situation, due to fear or shame. Identifying and reporting these acts is essential to preserve the health and dignity of older adults.

With this in mind, the Centro de Ayuda al Envejecido Víctima del Crimen (CAE, by its Spanish acronym; “Assistance Center for the Elderly Victims of Crime”) was established in order to address the physical, social, and emotional needs of older adults who are victims of this crime.

CAE is a joint initiative between the nonprofit organization Comprehensive Human Services Corporation and the Department of Justice, funded by a grant from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) program.

CAE services are completely free and confidential. They include support, accompaniment, advice, and coordination of different services, based on need. We help adults 60 years of age or older residing in the municipalities of San Juan, Carolina, Caguas, Cataño, Guaynabo, Bayamón, Toa Baja, and Trujillo Alto who are victims of some type of crime.

If you think you or someone you know is going through any of the situations described above, you may call (787) 774-3344 to obtain guidance. Calls will be answered with sensitivity and professionalism by personnel trained in older adult management. You deserve a dignified and happy life!