Statewide Task Force Launches in Arizona against Elder Abuse
Attorney General Tom Horne in Arizona has announced the launch of a new task force formed to combat elder abuse cases. The Taskforce Against Senior Abuse (TASA) is part of the Attorney General’s office’s Public Advocacy Division according to ABC15. The taskforce will be used as a means of protecting seniors from elder abuse by mandating prosecution for elder abuse, elder neglect, exploitation, and scams that target elders. The report states that a hotline has been established where people can report possible incidents of elder abuse or neglect. The taskforce can be reached by phone at 602-542-2124 or via email at seniorabuse@azag.gov.
Establishing a taskforce here in Arizona is an excellent way to combat the problem of elder abuse that continues to spread throughout the United States. According to statistics from Elder Abuse Daily, roughly 77% of cases involve exploitation against an elderly person while neglect and elder abuse equate to 18% and 20% respectively. Maricopa County alone sees roughly 66,587 reported and unreported cases each year according to EADaily.com.
If this taskforce takes effect successfully, these numbers could potentially be reduced over several years as more and more cases of elder abuse and neglect are either prevented or prosecuted in Arizona. If more of these task forces are incorporated into other states across the nation, this reduction in cases could spread throughout the United States and slowly start to minimize the problem of elder abuse across the nation. If you or anybody you know has been victimized by elder abuse or neglect, you should contact somebody who can get you compensation for damages.
