Raising awareness for elder abuse in Lackawanna County

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Putting a spotlight on elder abuse in the Commonwealth that was the focus of an event in Lackawanna County.

Creating a safe and welcoming environment for seniors in our community to call home is one of the reasons that state representatives and other local officials came together on the eve of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. State Representative Maureen Madden says holding events like this is important.

“Because we’ve had a governor who has stood up and said I’m gonna prioritize seniors we’re gonna talk to seniors. We’re gonna talk to the people who serve them and we’re gonna find out what their concerns are,” said Rep. Maureen Madden the 115 District Monroe County.

They found some senior citizens want a place that will provide the basics.

“Being able to age in place to be able to get reliable transportation and to get a faster delivery of services,” says Rep. Madden.

CEO of Telespond Senior Services, Helen Schmid, says some of the concerns have led them to extend their facility to add a space for seniors in need. Their goal is also to provide their residents with a safe place to live.

“Which will be a center that will assist any older adult who is being abused or neglected it’ll be a four-bed unit and anyone in this county hopefully regionally will be able to stay here if they need somewhere safe to stay,” added Schmid.

Schmid says she hopes people leave knowing more about the struggles some seniors in our community face than they did when they came in.

“I think if nothing else, we’ll bring awareness to our community about the situations that can happen to our older adults, and being able to support resources like this is really important to our community,” stated Schmid.

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