Elder Abuse: Starting the Conversation

For First Time Ever, Twin Ports Community Discusses Elder Abuse

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“Most commonly we think of physical abuse, but there’s financial exploitation, there’s fraud, there’s emotional abuse, there’s neglect,” said Erika Leif, Director of the Aging and Disability Resource Center in Douglas County.

Scott Campbell calls it an unsung story.

“I think that the numbers we see probably aren’t truly reflective of the accurate numbers that are occurring,” said Campbell.

In 2002, he made the unfortunate discovery that his brother, a fellow Duluth police officer at the time, had been stealing money from their mother battling dementia.

“He was able to get himself put on as the power of attorney with my mother at the time, and also got on her accounts as joint tenant common on the bank accounts,” Campbell explained.

In just 18 months he had stolen nearly $115,000.

“Anger, sad, humility, embarrassment,” Campbell admitted.

The family spent the following eight years consumed by court trials and appellate decisions before receiving a resolution.

But not without a cost

“Let’s say that we’re not doing the holidays,” Campbell said.

Each year about $36,000,000 is stolen from senior citizens in financial exploitation.

“That can come by family members, that can come by probate attorneys, it could come by strangers that befriend the seniors,” explained Campbell.

In 2014, 12.6 million Americans were victims of identity theft. That’s one person every three seconds.

“Fraud is most commonly not someone the victim knows,” Leif said.

Scott now refers to himself as a citizen advocate, fighting for the hundreds of thousands of elders abused each year.

“For people to understand that it’s okay to bring it out and have that discussion with the proper authorities,” he said.

And, of course, for his mother.

“And then the pursuit of justice on her behalf,” he added.