THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 3, 1996 TAG: 9605010095
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REBECCA A. MYERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
She was nearly 80, disoriented and begging for food outside a local grocery store when case workers from the city's Social Services Department were called.
He was in his 60s, terminally ill with lung cancer and about to be evicted from his home of 10 years when the agency was summoned for help once again.
``Most people know that they can call Social Services for child abuse reports, but we are trying to get the word out that our agency also investigates adult abuse,'' said Janie Burnside, social work supervisor with the city's Adult Protective Service Unit.
It is Burnside's job to promote public awareness of abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly. She is focused on her goal this month because May has been designated Adult Abuse Prevention Month in Virginia by Gov. George Allen.
``We are getting a lot more calls,'' said Burnside, who works with a staff of five. ``I guess part of it is because the aging population is growing pretty rapidly and also because people are becoming more aware that there is an agency that looks into matters like this.''
According to statistics provided by Burnside, 115 cases of elder abuse were reported in the city in 1990. Last year, 247 cases were reported, with about 70 percent of them considered legitimate. Of those, more than half were categorized as ``self-neglect.''
``That's when an older person or a disabled person has lost their ability to care for themselves, and we find that they need protective service,'' Burnside explained. ``A lot of times it's not intentional, but maybe their health is failing and they just are no longer able to care for themselves like they once did.''
Neglect by a caretaker is the second most prevalent situation social workers find investigating elderly abuse, Burnside said.
``We see a lot of that, where a relative is the primary caretaker and we'll get reports that they're not providing adequate care. And it causes the person to be at-risk - either because of medical problems or because their basic needs are not getting met.''
And the number of reported cases is small compared to ``what's really out there,'' Burnside said.
``We average about 20 (investigations) a month now. And that's probably low.''
According to the Virginia Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, common signs of elder abuse, neglect or exploitation include:
An injury that is not properly treated.
Inadequate care.
Burns, welts, scratches, bruises or fractures.
Malnourishment.
Missing personal belongings.
Mismanaged property or savings.
More than 10,000 reports of suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation were made to Virginia's adult protective services system in fiscal year 1995, according to information provided by the coalition.
Most reports of abuse and neglect come from professionals in the medical field and law enforcement, Burnside said. The agency also investigates abuse of disabled adults of all ages, particularly those who are mentally impaired. MEMO: To report suspected abuse to the adult protective service unit in
Portsmouth, call Janie Burnside at 398-3600, Ext. 8137. by CNB