Lake County proclaims World Elder Abuse Awareness Day; officials urge reporting, announce June 12 walk

The Lake County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved a proclamation recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2025, and heard presentations from Job and Family Services staff urging residents to report suspected elder abuse.

The proclamation, approved unanimously, was followed by remarks from commissioners and Job and Family Services staff stressing that elder abuse—physical abuse, neglect or financial exploitation—often goes unreported. “If you see something, say something,” one commissioner said during discussion, urging neighbors to call authorities when they suspect maltreatment.

Suzanne, a Job and Family Services staff member, and the department's assistant administrator briefed the board on local outreach and investigative work. The assistant administrator told commissioners that “Every year in Ohio, there are 36,000 reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation involving vulnerable adults age 60 and older,” and said Lake County Adult Protective Services received more than 870 calls about maltreatment of older adults in 2024. The assistant administrator also cited national and global estimates, saying research from the National Center on Elder Abuse suggests roughly 1 in 10 older Americans experience some form of abuse and that the World Health Organization estimates about 1 in 6 people aged 60 and older experience maltreatment worldwide.

Job and Family Services, in partnership with Lifeline, the Board of Commissioners and the Association of Specialists in Aging, announced the fourth annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Walk on Thursday, June 12. The department said the walk will begin at 11:45 a.m. at Job and Family Services and end at the Administration Center; participants are encouraged to wear purple. The assistant administrator also reminded residents that Lake County operates a 24-hour hotline for reporting concerns about vulnerable adults at (440) 350-4000 and to press option 1.

The board's proclamation emphasizes the role of community members in identifying and reporting exploitation, particularly financial exploitation by family members or others. Commissioners thanked Job and Family Services staff and community partners for coordinating outreach and for providing investigative services to protect older adults.

No formal policy changes were proposed at the meeting; the item before the board was a proclamation recognizing the awareness day and supporting community outreach efforts.