Springfield – Across the nation, June 15th marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day; In Illinois, Governor Rauner has issued a proclamation in recognition of this important observance. Embracing this year’s them – One person. One Action. One Nation. United against elder abuse. – the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) staff stood together in solidarity wearing purple to show awareness of adult abuse, neglect and exploitation of adults.

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"This is the very least we can do. We see and hear about horrible events with alarming frequency, but this is an insidious crisis that occurs every day in every part of the world. It’s been called a 'silent epidemic,' and, as our awareness campaign states, enough is enough," remarked IDoA director Jean Bohnhoff.

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In 2015, Adult Protective Services at IDoA responded to more than 15,000 reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation of adults with disabilities and adults 60 years of age and older. Financial exploitation represents 54 percent of elder abuse cases, and victims generally experience more than one type of abuse, i.e., financial abuse is highly associated with emotional abuse at 43 percent.

"I’m proud of the work the Department and all of our provider agencies are able to do to help victims of abuse, whether they are an older adult or an individual with a disability. Intervention saves lives," said Director Bohnhoff. “As age increases, so do the occurrences of abuse. And still a large number of cases remain unreported. Help us as we work to break the trends and end the abuse,” she continued.

To report suspected abuse, call the 24-hour elder abuse hotline at 866-800-1409.

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