A new report looks at elder abuse as a real and growing issue. WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on indicators of elder-abuse protection. Michigan came in as the fourth best for elder protection.
“Michigan ranked fourth best overall in terms of the best elder abuse protections.” That’s WalletHub analyst, Jill Gonzalez.
A new WalletHub report looks at vulnerable, older Americans being among the easiest targets for misconduct. Especially those who are women, have disabilities and rely on others for care. By one estimate, elder abuse affects as much as ten percent of the population older than 60 and many cases go unreported. Many states recognize that elder abuse is a real and growing issue. Gonzalez says WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on a number of indicators.
“We looked at the prevalence of elder abuse, the resources put toward prevention and protections in terms of laws here. So, we looked at 16 different indicators that ranges from the share of elder abuse, neglect to elder abuse laws and really everything in between.”
And in looking at these factors, WalletHub ranked Michigan as the 4th best when it comes to elder care.
“One of the reasons why Michigan ranked so highly, is simply because of the prevalence of these things, like fraud, abuse, all of that is relatively low. That’s one reason why Michigan did so well. And I think the why behind that is a number of resources. Michigan has high numbers on expenditures on prevention, on legal assistance for the elderly and long-term care ombudsman as well.”
Gonzalez says you can find the full report at WalletHub.Com
