Elder Abuse hotline set up in Wisconsin

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It's a troubling statistic; 1 in 9 seniors has reported abuse or neglect in the last 12 months.

Now there's a hotline in Wisconsin to report it.

It's 1(800) 488-3780.

It was set up by Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel who formed a task force to tackled medicaid fraud and elder abuse.

Experts believe cases of both physical abuse and financial exploitation among the elderly remain under reported.

The hotline may give authorities the clearest picture yet on just how common the problem might be among senior citizens.

The attorney general will be a live guest Monday (today) on the CBS 58 News at 4.

There is also a  new public awareness campaign that the Wisconsin Department of Justice is launching to inform the public about what elder abuse is, and allow people to report suspected elder abuse in a Medicaid-funded or other senior facility.

The public service announcements will air over the radio from January 15 to March 11, 2018, on the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association’s 200 member stations.

At last Friday's task force meeting, Attorney General Schimel and members discussed dementia and how it can impact the criminal justice system’s response; AARP’s fraud prevention program; financial exploitation; and other topics on elder abuse.

The Attorney General’s Task Force on Elder Abuse, which was announced in August 2017, is charged with compiling the resources and knowledge of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals to study the impact of elder abuse in Wisconsin and assess ways to improve outcomes for this growing population of citizens. In addition to developing strategies to address barriers in investigation and prosecutions of elder abuse, the task force will strengthen consumer protection for seniors and create recommendations for improved cross-system communications.

You can also report suspected financial, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse online. Click here 

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