KCASI News
Media Contact: Lynsey Mukomel
517-599-2746 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
AG Nessel Commends Gov. Whitmer’s Elder Abuse Awareness Proclamation
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General commended Governor Gretchen Whitmer for proclaiming June 2021 as Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Awareness Month.
One in ten older adults in the United States experiences abuse, neglect and exploitation. Elder and vulnerable adult abuse often goes unnoticed and unreported. Attorney General Nessel brought together the Elder Abuse Task Force to combat this complex issue.
“Older adults are a particularly vulnerable group, making them susceptible to physical abuse, financial exploitation, emotional abuse and/or neglect. In order to properly protect our senior and vulnerable adult population, we must be able to recognize the signs of abuse,” Nessel said. “Our Elder Abuse Task Force has a number of resources available online to help identify mistreatment. During this month – and beyond – I encourage everyone to learn more about how to protect those in need.”
“This month, I am proud to partner with the Attorney General and the Department of Health and Human Services to raise awareness of the abuse of older and vulnerable adults here in Michigan,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “The Elder Abuse Task Force has done terrific work, gathering resources that help identify physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older residents. I encourage all Michiganders, regardless of their age, to educate themselves this month on the often ignored or underreported issue of elder abuse.”
“MDHHS is pleased that our Adult Protective Services is able to work hand-in-hand with Attorney General Nessel and Gov. Whitmer to address a serious problem that affects Michigan’s aging population and other vulnerable adults,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “In June and every month, MDHHS is dedicated to protecting vulnerable adults by investigating complaints of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation and taking action.”
The Task Force launched in 2019 and consists of more than 55 different organizations in the public, private and nonprofit sections – all working together to combat elder abuse.
Most recently, Nessel launched The Sentinel Project – an initiative that focuses on protecting vulnerable adults residing in nursing facilities. This initiative uses specially trained staff to examine long-term care facilities for evidence of abuse or neglect through unannounced visits, which are determined by performance metrics, complaints and other data.
If you or someone you know is being abused or neglected in a nursing facility, contact the Michigan Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Hotline at (800) 24-ABUSE (2-2873) or file a complaint online through the Michigan Attorney General Patient Abuse Complaint Form.
For more information on the Elder Abuse Task Force, visit the Task Force’s webpage. To report elder abuse, call 855-444-3911.
View the full proclamation here.
KCASI partners with the MI Senior Advocates Council (MSAC) to work on legislation benefitting older adults, such as elder abuse prevention, nursing home quality regulations, guardianship reform, increased funding for meals on wheels and other in-home services. Dr. Allan Wilke is the delegate representing the Kalamazoo County Area Agency on Aging IIIA.
KCASI Alerts
How to Report a Robocall in Michigan:
The best way to deal with robocalls is to simply hang up or don’t answer the phone if you don’t recognize the number. Important calls, including those from COVID-19 contract tracers, will likely leave you a voicemail. However, to aid investigators in their efforts to hold robocallers accountable, certain pieces of information are extremely helpful to the department’s efforts to investigate, particularly when submitted to the Attorney General’s office as part of an official complaint:
- Robocaller’s phone number;
- Your phone number and service provider (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc.);
- The date and time of the robocall;
- Whether the robocall was soliciting goods or services; and
- The topic of the robocall scam (e.g. student loans, Social Security numbers, IRS liability, etc.).
To file a robocall complaint and learn more about Michigan’s Robocall Crackdown Initiative, visit the Attorney General’s website.
Beware of Social Security scams on the Web and Social Media!
Web Links on Scams:
Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul warns the public about fraudulent phone calls: www.youtube.com/socialsecurity
Report a Social Security Phone Scam: oig.ssa.gov
What you should do if you receive a suspicious Social Security phone call: https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-10018
Phone Scam Alert TV and Radio Public Service Announcement: https://www.ssa.gov/news/psa.html
Social Media Posts on Scams:
Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul warns the public about fraudulent phone calls from individuals falsely claiming to be Social Security employees. Watch now: http://ow.ly/pXhK50y3l3D
If you receive a suspicious Social Security call: 1) Hang up. 2) Do not provide personal information, money, or retail gift cards. 3) Report suspicious calls at: ow.ly/LkfN50xhr8Y. For more info on how to protect yourself, check out the FAQ: ow.ly/AwIc50xhrkd.
Social Security takes protecting your personal information seriously. Please see this important message from the Social Security Commissioner on how to protect yourself from phone scams: http://ow.ly/BY3i50xIgfN
Please watch this important message from Social Security Commissioner Saul to protect yourself from telephone scammers pretending to be government employees: http://ow.ly/BY3i50xIgfN
Scammers go to great lengths to trick you out of your personal information, but you can help keep your records safe. Learn how at: http://ow.ly/genw50xhqad
That call is not from Social Security. Don’t fall victim to scammers. Learn how you can protect your information at #SocialSecurityMatters: http://ow.ly/AGca50xhpUa
Beware of #scams and caller-ID “spoofing” schemes! Learn how to protect yourself from fraudsters here: http://ow.ly/qfp150wg7Lr
What should you do if you get a call claiming there’s a problem with your Social Security number or account? Answer: http://ow.ly/4l1G50xhp6g
Beware of Social Security scams! Learn how to protect yourself here: http://ow.ly/oFFs50xhnSX. Share this info with your family and friends.
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