3.3 Proclamation Elder AbuseElder Abuse Awareness Month
June 2022
WHEREAS, according to the National Council on Aging, one in ten seniors in America
experiences mistreatment or abuse—including domestic and sexual violence, financial
exploitation, and neglect; and
WHEREAS, abusers of older adults are both women and men and are usually family members,
caregivers, health care workers, or other trusted individuals—and due to the shame, fear, and other
barriers elders face in reporting abuse, only a limited number of victims are able to get the help
they need; and
WHEREAS, elders throughout the United States lose an estimated $2.6 billion or more annually
due to elder financial abuse and exploitation—such as the illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of
funds, property, or assets of a senior for another's benefit; and
WHEREAS, too often, elder abuse threatens the livelihoods of older individuals, erodes their
extraordinary potential, and increases their risk of death by 300% compared to seniors who have
not been mistreated; and
WHEREAS, Salina's vulnerable and older adults of all social, economic, racial and ethnic back-
grounds may be targets of abuse, neglect or exploitation, which can occur in families, long-term
care communities, and medical settings; and
WHEREAS, we all have a responsibility to support the safety, welfare, and dignity of vulnerable
and older adults and must work toward ending elder abuse by assisting victims in accessing the
information and supportive services they need, creating better and more resources for older adults
in need, instituting effective intervention and prevention policies, and engaging in discussion with
family members and peers to promote awareness and prevention of the quiet epidemic of elder
abuse.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Trent W. Davis, M.D., Mayor, hereby proclaims June 2022 as "ELDER
ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH" in the city of Salina and urges all citizens to work together to
help protect elder adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation because it is imperative that we
refuse to tolerate the indignity of Elder Abuse.
Trent W. Davis,
Date: June 13, 2022