TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - It's World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and representatives with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs are sharing insight on what they day truly means.
Elder abuse spans from physical to mental, sexual, and even financial abuse.
With such a large elder population here in Florida, Governor Rick Scott has issued a proclamation, observing today as World Elder Abuse Day and asking all Floridians to look out for the elderly.
About 41,000 elder abuse cases were reported last year across the state, 9,000 of which were financial abuse.
"It isn't always just financial abuse from scammers and other criminal types of activity, but often times, it's financial abuse by family members," said Jeffrey Bragg, the Secretary of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. "So it's a growing concern across all lines, really."
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has programs to help the elderly.
They send experts across the state to educate the public, they have staff who visit long-term care facilities to ensure they're up to standards, and there are even guardianship programs to regulate professional and public guardians appointed to help elder citizens.
