Coming of Age
Coming of Age, Lifestyle Television and Magazine for Seniors is the only senior-oriented lifestyle and informational print magazine and television program in Northwest Florida. Coming of Age was created specifically to meet the needs of a broad, diverse senior population, their families and caregivers. Both formats cover varied topics of interest including travel, "fun things to do," and community involvement opportunities in addition to legislative issues and health related information. Since its launch in 2005, Coming of Age has earned the Senior Vision Media Award from the Florida Council on Aging, Golden Image Awards from Florida Public Relations Association and a National Mature Media Award from the Mature Market Research Center.
Coming of Age, Lifestyle Magazine for Seniors is published quarterly in partnership with Ballinger Publishing. To read one of the feature articles from the current issue, click here. (See also our last issue).
Coming of Age, Lifestyle Television for Seniors airs on WUWF-TV, Cox Cable Channel 4 in Escambia County on Mondays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Tuesdays at 8 a.m. and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. The program can also be viewed at the same times at www.wuwf.org. New shows air weekly.
For more information on Coming of Age, please contact Jeff Nall, APR, CPRC, Vice President of Marketing Communications at jnall@coawfla.org or 432-1475.
A Crying Shame
By John B. Clark, President/CEO, Council on Aging of West Florida
It never happens in public. Most often it never sees the light of day. It most often happens between and/or among those we call “loved ones.” It is insidious, hard to detect and prove. When confronted, everyone involved often denies it happened. Yet it occurs everyday, all day, throughout the entire country; it can occur in a private home, in public, even in a hospital or in a nursing home. In accordance with Florida law, it must be reported by all of us who suspect or know this is occurring. What we are talking about is elderly abuse. Let’s examine this particular crime, what it is and what we should do if we suspect it is happening to someone.
Abuse of the elderly can take many forms. It can be actual physical abuse, but can also include psychological abuse (e.g. constantly berating and attempting to intimidate a vulnerable senior), or even sexual abuse. It can be neglect; for example, failing to make sure that a senior in our care receives proper medical treatment. It could also be self neglect; a person may live alone and not have the mental capacity to properly care for themselves. It can also be exploitation where a person in a position of trust takes advantage of a senior citizen and improperly uses their assets. In Florida, with the exception of self neglect; to be considered elderly abuse, exploitation and/or neglect, it must be committed by a caregiver, regardless of the relationship of that caregiver to the senior (family member, friend, paid staff, etc.) and there are certain reporting requirements that Florida law has established.
Florida law requires all citizens who know or suspect that any vulnerable adult has been, or is being abused, neglected, or exploited (by someone who is either a formal or informal caregiver; relative, friend, neighbor, paid staff, etc.) to report such suspicion or knowledge to the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873). A vulnerable adult is any person 18 and over who has a disability and may be unable to provide for their own care. This also includes senior citizens who are age 60 and older. Sometimes it is confusing to understand the difference between an offense which is reportable to the abuse hotline and one that is something that might be a law enforcement matter. For example, if a senior is walking down the street and is mugged, this is a police matter and is not required to be reported to the abuse hotline. Likewise if a senior citizen responds to an ad and falls victim to a scam, this is also a law enforcement matter and not reported to the hotline. These cases are not required to be reported to the abuse hotline because they were not perpetrated by someone in a caregiver relationship.
Abuse, neglect and/or exploitation can be hard to prove; often the victim is embarrassed, especially if a close family member such as a son or daughter is the perpetrator, and may deny it. Similarly, if a person with the mental capacity to understand their situation refuses help in a neglect situation, there is generally nothing that that can be done as people are free to live their lives as they see fit. However, abuse is clearly a problem. In fact according to a 2005 report by the Partnership for a Health Community, elderly abuse in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties was significantly higher than the rest of the state and other counties similar to ours. There are lots of reasons why this might be the case, just as there are lots of reasons why abuse occurs. However, abuse of a senior citizen, a child, or a vulnerable adult, or any person for that matter, should be repulsive to all of us. If we cannot completely stop elderly abuse we can at the very least report it. Remember, state law requires that such abuse, neglect, or exploitation be reported to the Florida Abuse Hotline, 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873).
