You may be wondering what you can do to help prevent Elder abuse, now that World Elder Abuse Awareness Day has past. There are many ways that you, and your family, can get involved with local seniors. Isolation is a proven risk factor for elder abuse, neglect and self-neglect. Spending a little bit of time reaching out to local seniors can help reduce the risk of elder abuse.

Here are a few ideas of how to get involved:

  1. Visit an older friend, neighbor or relative who resides alone regularly. Invite them along to an activity, or make it a point of dropping off a weekly baked good or puzzle.
  2. Volunteer with your local chapter of Meals on Wheels, or take a home-cooked meal to an elderly neighbor once or twice a month.
  3. Ask a senior you know to teach your kids how to sew, or bake a favorite snack. This will often help keep a lonely senior active, and gives your children a gift they will never forget.
  4. Volunteer to become a senior companion. Individuals over 60 years of age can volunteer by visiting www.seniorcorps.gov/about/programs/sc.asp
  5. Participate in a telephone reassurance program. Contact your local senior center, Medicaid office or aging services agencies, or start your own. Telephone reassurance programs provide daily calls to isolated elders to check on their daily well-being and alert authorities if a problem arises.