Be aware of elder abuse
By Robin Yaffe Tschumper | La Crescent, Minn.

How would you feel if your widowed, 65-year-old mother or sister was refusing to talk to you because you didn’t like the new man in her life? What if the last time you saw her she had a large bruise that wrapped around her arm and this man called her stupid (or worse)?

This is one picture of abuse in later life.
Abuse in later life refers to physical, emotional and sexual abuse of a person over the age of 50. White women are the most likely victims, with a median age of 77. Female victims tend to experience more serious abuse and to suffer more physical and emotional harm than male victims. Most perpetrators are adult children, spouses or other loved ones.

About one million elderly people across the country are abused each year.

June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. To commemorate this day, there will be a luncheon June 13 at the Radisson Center in La Crosse, Wis. Char Thompson, the founder of Minnesota Network on Abuse in Later Life, will give a presentation, “Expressions: Voices of Abuse in Later Life.” The luncheon costs $25 and is open to the public. We need to bring greater awareness to this very important topic.

Tschumper is the executive director of the Houston County Women’s Resources.

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