Today, June 15, 2011, is the sixth annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It falls in the middle of World Elder Abuse Awareness Week, which commenced on Monday. While it is important to specify a day or week in which to give attention to the cycle of abuse that many elderly in society face, it is also imperative to remember that this abuse happens every day. We must remain vigilant as a society in an attempt to eliminate elder abuse.
As this blog has chronicled in the past, elder abuse occurs in many forms: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and financial abuse, to name several. Unfortunately, often this abuse does not occur at the hands of an unkown hospital or nursing home aide, but rather at the hands of family members.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day helps to raise the public profile of the growing ubiquity of elder abuse. Events such as this, as well as celebrities such as Mickey Rooney speaking about their own experiences, will hopefully bring an awareness of the perils that our elderly citizens face. If you suspect that someone you love has been a victim of elder abuse, please contact the proper authorities as soon as possible. With the proper level of awareness, perhaps someday we can bring an end to elder abuse in its many forms.