ENDING A SILENT EPIDEMIC

    Most people hope their retirement years will be among the best. The 9 to 5 grind is over, the kids are gone, and there's finally time to make some of those dreams come true. For lucky seniors, that's exactly what happens. But for about 10 percent of adults over 65, abuse turns their golden years into a nightmare.

    Elder abuse is on the rise. In New Jersey, the number of reported cases nearly doubled from 1996 to 1999. People are abused in institutions - like nursing homes and assisted living residences - and in their own homes. Very often victims have medical conditions that prevent them from telling others what's happening, so until recently it was a silent epidemic.

    Thomas Cavalieri, DO, chair of the Department of Medicine at UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine, says the majority of maltreated seniors are 75 to 80 years old. They're physically abused, which includes sexual abuse; psychologically abused, which constitutes things like name-calling and making threats; exploited, which is the misuse and/or theft of the elder's money or belongings; and neglected, even though in some cases the victim has adequate resources but his or her needs are ignored.

Why is elder abuse only beginning to come to light? Cavalieri, who is also the executive director of the New Jersey Geriatric Education Center, says in the last decade, people have become more aware that it's out there. "It's like child abuse," he says. "It's been around a long time, but we didn't recognize it as a public health concern until the '70s." And it's on the rise, he says, because the fastest growing population is the elderly, who are prone to age-specific diseases, like Alzheimer's. These ailments cause seniors to eventually rely on others for care. "That's one hallmark of any kind of abuse," he says. "One person is dependent on another."

Nursing home abuse, he believes, results in part from low pay and inadequate training of the staff. "As a society we don't value this type of work," he explains. "Consequently, it becomes difficult to attract and keep employees. Those who are hired are sometimes inadequately trained."

A surprising amount of elder abuse takes place in the home, Cavalieri states. "Home is not always the safe haven we think it is," he says. "Many people do a yeoman's job of taking care of a loved one," he says. "But some find it very stressful, and that's understandable. They want to help, but aren't sure how." He says there are resources available to assistcare givers. Local hospitals usually have a list of support groups, respite services, adult day care centers and contacts for senior companion programs.

A new program, unique to New Jersey, is known as Easy Access Single Point of Entry or EASE. The number for New Jersey EASE (800-627-2727) may be called for information on programs and services for the elderly in the state. New Jersey EASE can also be called if someone knows of elder abuse that is taking place but wishes to remain anonymous. Cavalieri points out that it is not mandatory to report abuse that is taking place in a residence, but it is a law that anyone who witnesses or even suspects abuse in an institution must report it to the New Jersey Ombudsman's Office.

"In order to end elder abuse, we must change our views of elders," Cavalieri says. "As a society, we must respect and support them and their caregivers. We have a long way to go, but we've got a good start."