Domestic violence can occur in any intimate relationship and victims, survivors, and perpetrators come in all shapes and sizes.
With an aging population, identifying experiences of abuse among older adults is gaining momentum as a major concern. San Francisco, thanks to a team-facilitated Elder Abuse Training currently underway at the San Francisco Police Department, will be on the forefront of a comprehensive investigative response.
Funded by the Office of Violence Against Women, La Casa is proud to be teamed up with the City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, San Francisco Police Department, Adult Protective Services, and the Institute on Aging to roll out a two day, comprehensive training for law enforcement on abuse in later life.
The intersections of domestic violence and elder abuse are vast and significant. Whether a 70 year old woman is being abused by her husband or by her adult child, she is still a victim of domestic violence. Being over age 65 qualifies her to receive specific elder abuse services, and her batterer can be prosecuted under penal codes that address both elder abuse and domestic violence. In a sense, the law has extra protection and enhanced prosecution for victims later in life.
Making sure that law enforcement officers know and understand this information, and are able to put this knowledge into play when investigating abuse so that victims can receive protection and support, is the first goal behind the current training. The second goal is to insure that our city’s crisis response systems and services recognize and respond to both older adults (50-65) and seniors (65+) who are victims of abuse.
By September 2011, our law enforcement training efforts will be complete: over 500 officers in San Francisco will be equipped with advanced training on domestic violence and elder abuse topics. A special training for community service providers will then launch to challenge the misconceptions that domestic violence only occurs with young couples, in homes with young children, or to frail older people. La Casa also hosts a bimonthly Coordinated Community Response meeting, bringing together services for older and elder victims to ensure coordination and fluid referrals.
In the fall, La Casa will kick off a campaign to enhance access to La Casa’s services for victims of domestic violence ages 50 and up. With training, education, and awareness we are insuring victims later in life are supported system-wide, and making important progress toward realizing a community free of domestic violence in all stages of life.
What can you expect from a responding officer after the law enforcement training?
When they investigate a call for service related to the well-being of an older person, they will be ready to identify and investigate any type of elder abuse that could be occurring at the scene. For example, an officer called out to investigate suspicious activity in an elderly person’s home will look around for signs of abuse or neglect, such as extensive soiled bedding, bed sores, unkempt hygiene, or lack of food. They’ll look to see if there are bills piled up that haven’t been paid, or expensive “gifts” to relatives that may indicate financial exploitation. Those officers will be clear on what laws are being broken, how to collect evidence, book the suspect, and connect the victim to services such as Adult Protective Services or La Casa.
