Lancaster County Shows Rise In Elder Abuse

The Lancaster County Office of Aging has seen a rise in the incidents of elder abuse in recent years.  One such report was of a local woman draining her 95-year-old mother's bank account. The office investigates about 1,500 claims a year, up from 1,200 last year.  They report increases of several hundred reports every year for the last 4-5 years.  The reports range from abuse and neglect to financial exploitation.  The office recently outlined a four-year plan for 2012-2016, which is required from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.  They hope to increase the amount and efficiency of their services, as outlined in their plan. 

In Lancaster County, over 20% of the population is 60 or older.  Out of these residents,over 10% requested at least one service offered via the Office of Aging.  The Office of Aging's budget is $8.6 million, most of which comes from proceeds from the Pennsylvania Lottery.  No tax dollars are spent on this office.  According to the article (hyperlinked above), "currently, the county has a waiting list of more than 300 eligible seniors who want access to some of these services, which help seniors with daily needs, such as bathing, eating and paying bills, while allowing them to continue living at home."


This office is doing a great job at meeting the needs of their area's seniors within their budgets.  Elder abuse is a rising concern within many American areas.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer specializing in elder abuse/neglect and motor vehicle accidents.  For more information on his law firm and legal practice, please visit his website here.

New Lancaster Elder Abuse Unit Sees First Cases

Previously this summer, our blog wrote an article about Lancaster's growing elder abuse problem.  Now, the area has created a new elder abuse unit, and this unit is seeing its first cases come in.  Click on this link to read more about the specific cases and how the Lancaster elder abuse unit is running in its first summer. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury attorney serving western and central Pennsylvania.  He also deals with elder abuse claims in both nursing homes and hospitals. If you suspect that your loved one has been mistreated or neglected by caregivers in a hospital or a nursing home, please contact our law office for a consultation to discuss possible action on your claim.

Elder Abuse Growing Problem In Lancaster County

According to a recent article, Lancaster County is seeing a significant number of elder abuse allegations.  Police were becoming overwhelmed without official protocol in place to investigate such cases, and have since written explicit elder abuse investigation guidelines for law enforcement to follow.  According to the county Department of Aging, elder abuse allegations have tripled in the past decade; this is reflected in the National Center on Elder Abuse, which estimates that between 1 and 2 million people aged 65 and over are victims of elder abuse each year.  Lancaster County is working now to increase awareness about elder abuse and the steps one needs to take if they or someone else might be a victim of this kind of abuse.

Attorney Doug Stoehr deals with elder abuse in both nursing homes and hospitals. If you suspect that your loved one has been mistreated or neglected by caregivers in a hospital or a nursing home, please contact our law office for a consultation to discuss possible action on your claim.