Increase in Elder Abuse Claims in Los Angeles County

Elder abuse is difficult to measure statistically, as it often remains largely hidden. Abusive acts may be committed in the privacy of someone’s home. It may start with a phone call, a telemarketer offering a get-rich-quick scheme, or it may manifest as more tangible physical and/or emotional abuse by relatives or caretakers. As such, researchers and policy makers lack reliable statistical data, a fact that only adds more complexity to the issue.

The total elder abuse cases filed in Los Angeles County, based on Trellis data shows a puzzling increase in the percentage of elder abuse cases in 2018. Why? Does the increase represent a newly burgeoning social problem or is the issue simply receiving more visibility and attention than previous years? Alternatively, the increase may simply represent a more successful effort to identify elder abuse and report it to authorities.

Although California does not yet have all the answers, the increase in claims should be noted, and the causes considered in order to highlight an issue that the Office of the District Attorney of Los Angeles has also tried to spotlight.

Originally published at blog.trellis.law.