Friday, First Metro Bank hosted a seminar on the subject of elder abuse – a topic a lot of people think doesn’t applies to them, according to Alana Parker from First Metro Bank.

Parker said the purpose of the seminar was to increase awareness and teach people how to prevent, detect and report elder abuse and its signs. She shared some serious statistics on the matter: 97 percent of the time an elder is abused, it is by a relative, and there is a 300 percent higher death rate among elders who have been abused than those who have not experienced abuse.

Parker said there are many different kinds of abuse, including physical, financial, psychological and neglect.

Some ways to prevent abuse from happening include avoiding isolation, maintaining activity, being informed and making a clear plan for the future.

Elderly people also need to be on the lookout for different kinds of financial scams, like Medicare/insurance scams, grandparent scams, sweepstakes/lottery scams, counterfeit prescription drugs, funeral/cemetery scans, anti-aging products, phone scams, internet fraud, investment scams and homeowner/reverse mortgage scams.

Franklin County Department of Human Resources representative Lynne Graves said the typical victims of elder abuse are over 75 years old, female and often have disabilities or mental health concerns.

As far as abusers go, she said they are often relatives of the victim, have mental concerns of their own, have a history of abuse or are addicts.

Some signs of ongoing abuse include physical injuries like bruises, dehydration and malnutrition. Victims might also exhibit signs of depression, withdrawal and fear.

According to Graves, 9,367 elder abuse referral cases were referred to FC DHR in 2017, which is 10 percent higher than the rate in 2016.

Sgt. Jake Tompkins of the Russellville Police Department spoke about how the law handles elder abuse cases. He said when abuse is reported, law enforcement needs to know the victim’s name, location and situation.

Tompkins also explained the different degrees of charges when it comes to elder abuse – the most serious being first degree, for which a person can receive up to 25 years in prison.

Only one out of 44 instances of elder abuse are reported, according to Tompkins, because the victims are often embarrassed, guilty or afraid. He classified it as a growing “silent” crime.