Photo by James FeltonBAY CITY, MI (WNEM) -
Ron Lemmon speaks highly of seniors. Lemmon, an active member of Bay county's Senior Task Force, has worked with them for 25 years. He says older folks are dealing with a dangerous epidemic here.
"We have a significant problem with elder abuse. As a society we really need to wake up to the fact that this population exists and that it needs our protection, it needs our assistance," Lemmon said.
But now, thanks to a three-year grant from the federal government, enhanced training for numerous agencies ranging from police departments, social workers and healthcare providers that serve seniors will take place. The goal is to train everyone how to detect signs of elder abuse and find new ways to protect the oldest amongst us.
Bay County is the fifth county in Michigan to participate in this program. And government officials like Cynthia Farrell from the state Department of Human Services in Lansing tell WNEM they hope that eventually every county in the state will have a program like this.
"It brings law enforcement, prosecution, adult protective services, the healthcare agencies, long-term care, the ombudsman's office, all the partners in the community need to work together to solve this issue," Farrell said.
About 100 people attended the brainstorming session and Lemmon called the event empowering. He's confident three years from now seniors will be safer than they are today.
"We've made a significant impact on our senior population in protecting them and making sure that they're offered the services and support that they need," Lemmon said.
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