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Senior leader discusses elder abuse with White House advisers

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By Justin McClelland, Staff Writer 6:29 PM Friday, February 10, 2012

MASON — The leader of a local retirement community met with White House advisers this week to discuss senior citizen abuse and ways to help put a stop to the growing problem.

Carol Elliott Silver, the CEO and president of Cedar Village in Mason, met with several White House advisers to discuss her facility’s recently opened emergency shelter for abused seniors. The shelter is one of only six in the country, even though the issue of elder abuse is a growing problem around the nation. Silver said.

Studies have shown one in 10 people over the age of 65 report being the victim of some sort of abuse, whether it be physical, emotional, social or financial.

In January, Cedar Village opened its senior abuse shelter. The shelter offers a bed - as well as legal, medical and counseling services to abused senior citizens - free of charge.

“For our program to work, we have to educate the community about the issue,” Silver said. “Our shelter relies on cooperation from police, fire, adult protective services and other agencies to identify abuse and reach out to those in need. They need to know it’s out there and that abuse must be reported immediately to do any good.”

Silver said she expects her shelter to see four to six referrals a year.

“Silver said she believed one reason the problem was growing was that the economy was forcing more adult children to move in with their elderly parents.

Silver was one of six senior care providers from around the nation who met with White House advisers to discuss various innovations in providing effective and efficient senior care. The meeting lasted around ninety minutes, Silver said.

“It was a very positive experience,” Silver said. “There was a lot of interest from the White House and even discussion of having someone from their staff visit Cedar Village.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4544 or jmcclelland@coxohio.com.

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