Op-Ed: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: What the Data Tells Us — and What Our Community Must Do

By Akila Gibbs

June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a moment to confront a difficult truth: elder abuse is far more common than most people realize, and it increases during times of crisis. The data from recent years is unmistakable. During the COVID 19 pandemic, reports of elder abuse rose sharply across the country. Isolation, financial strain, caregiver burnout, and the sudden loss of community connections created conditions where stress escalated into neglect or harm. When older adults were forced to shelter in place, many lost the daily interactions that help keep them safe, neighbors, friends, senior centers, and service providers who notice when something is wrong.

We saw a similar pattern closer to home after the Altadena fire. Whenever a community is under stress, whether from natural disaster, displacement, or economic pressure, older adults become more vulnerable. Families are stretched thin, caregivers are overwhelmed, and the quiet suffering of seniors becomes easier to overlook.

Elder abuse rarely begins with cruelty. More often, it grows out of pressure, exhaustion, and lack of support. The most common contributing factors include caregiver stress, social isolation, cognitive decline, financial strain, and the absence of respite care. These factors don’t excuse abuse but understanding them helps us prevent it.

At the Pasadena Senior Center, we see these pressures every day. Our staff are mandated reporters, trained to recognize the signs of abuse and to act when someone is in danger. But our mission goes beyond reporting. We want to help families before frustration turns into harm.

We offer caregiver support groups, resource navigation for respite and in home services, social connection programs that reduce isolation, and wellness checks that help us notice when a senior’s situation is changing. These matters, especially during community crises, when stress is highest and older adults are most at risk.

On this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, I urge our community to stay connected to the older adults in your lives. Check in. Offer help. Pay attention when something feels off. And reach out to the Pasadena Senior Center early, not after a crisis.

Every older adult deserves safety, dignity, and respect. Together, we can make sure they have it.

Akila Gibbs is the executive director of the Pasadena Senior Center.