If you knew that 1,000 people would start to suffer at the hands of abusers every single day in the United States, you would likely be motivated to do something about it. That number seems so large that it's completely illogical, but that's exactly what experts are predicting is going to happen over the course of the next 20 years. These predictions are based on statistics, and some feel that these statistics are actually quite conservative in nature based on the fact that many older people simply never report instances of abuse or even ongoing situations of abuse.
Recently, the Imperial Valley News in California published an article that was nothing short of stunning in terms of the numbers it provided. The full text of that article can be found here. The article laid out the aging trend in the United States based on the fact that the Baby Boomers, which represent a large percentage of our population, are beginning to reach the age when many people consider retirement and enter into what are known as their Golden Years. Sadly, it doesn't appear that these years will be anything resembling the pleasure of gold for far too many of them. According to the article, approximately 10,000 people are set to turn 65 years old every single day for the next 20 years. That statistic comes from the Pew Research Center. That equates to 3.65 million people in the United States every year.
According to an estimate provided by Bureau of Justice Statistics, at least 10 percent of those 3.65 million people per year will endure some form of abuse. That leads to the conclusion that 365,000 people will be abused every year, and over the course of the next 20 years that means that 7.3 million people will suffer through this treatment. Simply put, these are shocking statistics, and this is a forthcoming problem that needs to garner attention so that something can be done. People of advanced age can suffer abuse while living in an assisted living facility or while living at home. Elderly people can and often are abused by family members who take advantage of them in one way or another. There are several different forms of elder abuse, including:
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Financial abuse
- Sexual abuse
Chances are that you know someone who is already over the age of 65 or you know someone who will reach that age soon. When they encounter the time when they need care, you need to make sure that you trust your instincts. If you feel as though something is wrong, you need to take the next step and find out what could be happening. Even if there is no mistreatment, you will at the very least put those who are providing care on notice that you are watching the situation closely. If you or someone you love is being mistreated in this manner, contact the Las Vegas nursing home abuse lawyers at High Stakes Injury Law today to schedule a free initial consultation.