Elder Abuse Rose in Santa Clara County as County Staffing Dropped

Incidents of elder and dependent adult abuse have been climbing in Santa Clara County since 2013, but the biggest spike occurred last year while residents were sheltering inside their homes, according to county data.

Meanwhile, the county's Adult Protective Services struggled with understaffing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The county's department in 2018 and 2019 received about 5,900 abuse complaints, while in 2020 complaints rose to more than 6,300, a nearly 7% increase.

Mary Ann Warren, director of the Department of Aging and Adult Services, said the rise is attributed to shelter-in-place orders over the past year combined with a rapidly aging population.

"Even when you don't think of yourself as an elder in our community — that's when you're most vulnerable," Warren said. "It's easier to rob one of our clients than it is to rob a bank."

Warren said complaints of financial abuse and self-neglect also rose dramatically last year.

"This problem has been steadily increasing across the country for a number of years, and was only exacerbated last year due to the pandemic not allowing (Adult Protective Services) social workers to go out and conduct in-person safety and wellness checks as frequently," said Sheri Burns, executive director of the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center.

Burns said remote assessments also make it difficult because the elder or dependent adult "doesn't feel safe to share truthful information" when an abuser is present, or because they fear being taken from their home.

Since the pandemic started, the FBI has reported a spike in elder fraud across the country driven in part by COVID-related schemes. As of May 2020, the bureau received about 320,000 complaints, nearly the same number they had for the entirety of 2019.

Santa Clara County data shows self-neglect numbers rose from about 600 cases in previous years to 900 cases in 2020.

But as cases of elder abuse rise, those who investigate and fight it have diminished.

The county's Adult Protective Services Department has taken a hit in the past year. Some employees retired early with the county's voluntary separation program, an effort to cut jobs without laying people off. Other employees are helping the county with COVID-19 vaccinations.

At the beginning of last year, the department had 32 employees working on case investigations. Now they're down to 24 workers, leading to a case backlog.

"By saying what's not working," said Supervisor Cindy Chavez, "it gives us a chance to have a conversation about what could work, particularly as it relates to staffing shortages."

To report known or suspected elder abuse, call the county's 24-hour Adult Protective Services at (408) 975-4900 or (800) 414-2002. The District Attorney's Office has an elder fraud hotline at (855) 323-5337 dedicated to investigate and prosecute cases of elder fraud.

For abuse that occurs in a licensed long-term care facility, call the long-term-care ombudsman at (408) 944-0567.

This is a news brief. For the full story head to San Jose Spotlight.

— Madelyn Reese, San Jose Spotlight, via Bay City News