I am pleased to announce the New York City Elder Abuse Center (NYCEAC) has released a video series on the subject. This project has taken a year to come to fruition. At the time of this writing, the overall project is almost complete, and I am working on creating DVDs for the series.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2014, I worked with the center’s professionals to produce the series. We interviewed 27 experts from their respective fields, including social workers, psychiatrists, public and private advocates, attorneys and directors of city agencies. Through a short video enactment of an elderly mother being abused by her son, they offered their assessment within their discipline.
NYCEAC’s annoucement of the video series
Video enactment of Elder Abuse
I have learned so much about elder abuse and caring for seniors, especially as my parents are approaching being senior citizens.
Elder abuse is domestic violence. It happens behind closed doors and very often in silence. It is a very complex issue that can be in the form of physical/verbal abuse, neglect and/or financial exploitation. It can be between various family members. The victim may have dementia. We as individuals need to be the eyes, ears and voice of our neighbors and family members to report potential abuse and help remedy the situation. Oftentimes, the abusers don’t know they are abusers. They feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a caregiver and don’t know where to turn for help.
It was a pleasure working with the experts, some of whom have over 20 years of experience. It is great to learn we’ve made great advancements in geriatric care for seniors. However, there is still a great need for awareness, policy change and increased funding for senior care programs. I am grateful for the opportunity to use my skills to increase public awareness of elder abuse in this country.
NYCEAC video clip series produced by NYCEAC with generous support from the Park Foundation.
