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The aging population is growing, and along with it are reports of elder abuse. And although states recognize that elder abuse is a real and growing issue, only some are working to stop it, according to a new report.
According to WalletHub, which recently released its report on 2021’s States with the Best Elder-Abuse Protections, elder abuse affects as much as 10% of the population over the age of 60, and many cases go unreported.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 16 indicators of elder abuse protection in the categories of prevalence, resources and protections.
This year, states identified as having the best overall elder abuse protections included Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
Mississippi and West Virginia have the most frequent assisted living community inspections — twice per year — which is 10 times more frequent than in Montana, which has inspections only once every five years, according to WalletHub.
Montana also ranked among the states reporting the highest number of elder abuse complaints, along with South Carolina, Nevada, California and Tennessee. The states reporting the lowest rates of elder abuse, gross neglect and exploitation complaints were Louisiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Massachusetts.
Fei Sun, Ph.D., a Michigan State University professor, said forms of elder abuse include mental, physical, psychological and sexual abuse as well as neglect. Psychological abuse (11.6%) and financial abuse (6.8%) are the two most frequent forms of elder abuse, he said.
States spending the most on elder abuse prevention were Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Virginia and Nevada, WalletHub said. The states with the lowest reported expenditures on elder abuse prevention were Montana, Maine, Louisiana, Georgia and Texas.
Alaska has the highest total long-term care ombudsman program funding, at $8.85 per resident 65 and older, which is 13.2 times higher than in Florida, which had the lowest funding at 67 cents per resident, according to WalletHub.
Alaska also has the most certified volunteer ombudsmen, at 75 per 100,000 residents aged 65 or more years, whereas Alabama, Montana, Mississippi, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming are among the states without such volunteers, WalletHub said.
Technology could play a role in protecting older adults from abuse, Sun said.
“Policymakers should advocate for added protections regarding elder abuse, especially since technology has become an essential mode of communication during the pandemic,” he said. “Scammers are leveraging COVID-19 to prey on older adults. Improved policies on security and protection regarding communication devices may deter and stop future financial scams.”
The report also includes information on the number of eldercare organizations and services offered in states, certified volunteer ombudsmen and nursing home quality. See how states ranked in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
