Goldinger

BUTLER TWP — Butler County’s Elder Abuse Task Force is making strides to combat the exploitation of senior citizens, officials said Wednesday.

The comments came from District Attorney Richard Goldinger and advocates for senior citizens at a meeting with service providers and the public at Butler County Community College. The event highlighted elder abuse issues and trends in the county.

Ricky Lake Jr., deputy director of the county’s Area Agency on Aging, called elder abuse an “epidemic,” but said he doesn’t believe it’s on the rise.

“I think overall we’re seeing an increase in reports. Not necessarily an increase of abuse, but of awareness in how to get help,” Lake said.

He credited outreach efforts by service providers and the Elder Abuse Task Force, created in the fall, with increasing awareness.

“I think the problem has been there for a long time,” Lake said. “I think as a culture we haven’t been in tune with the issue.”

Lake said the organization had 410 reports of elder abuse or neglect in 2014.

More than 60 percent of those calls dealt with either self neglect or caregiver neglect, Lake said. Nearly 20 percent were reports of exploitation, which Lake said was primarily financial.

According to the agency, about 28,000 people 60 years and older live in the county.

Goldinger said a “disconnect” between law enforcement agencies, his office, and the agency on aging, resulted in many potential criminal cases not being investigated by police.

Part of the task force’s goal, Goldinger said, is to reverse that trend by bringing together law enforcement, medical and social service personnel in a “think tank” that can help investigators with difficult cases and seek community input.

“I can see it changing; getting bigger and being more effective as we get our legs underneath us,” Goldinger said.

The group has met four times since being formed, he said.