Title
Recognizing June 15, 2018 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and further recognizing June 12, 2018, as Elder Abuse Awareness Day in the City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, The United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 66/127, designated June 15th as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. World Elder Abuse Day represents the one day in the year when the entire world voices its opposition to the abuse and suffering inflicted to some of our older generations; and
WHEREAS, Virtually all countries expect to see substantial growth in the number of older persons between 2015 and 2030, and occurrences of elder abuse can be expected to grow with it; and
WHEREAS, According to national surveys, elder abuse remains one of the least investigated types of violence, and one of the least addressed in national action plans; and
WHEREAS, Elder abuse is a global social issue which affects the health and human rights of millions of older persons around the world, and an issue which deserves the attention of the international and local Philadelphia Community; and
WHEREAS, Elder abuse can be defined as "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person." Elder abuse can take various forms, such as physical, psychological or emotional, sexual, and financial abuse. It can also be the result of intentional or unintentional neglect; and
WHEREAS, Each year an estimated 5 million older Americans are abused, neglected, or exploited and the direct medical costs of injuries and care related to elder abuse exceed $5 billion a year in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, Older Americans lose an estimated $2.9 billion or more annually due to elder financial abuse and exploitation; and
WHEREAS, Of Philadelphia's population of 1.5 million people, 264,970 (17%) are over the age of 60, and 47,969 (18%) of older Philadelphians live at or below the feder...
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