A reminder to everyone that today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, when we should all take time to check on the elderly members of our families and our communities.

As many of you know, this is an issue that is important to me because of members of my own family who were not only abused, but who could not get assistance from any form of government authority or healthcare program because elder abuse is still not taken seriously. Many victims are too scared and too embarrassed to report it.

I know of elderly who have been told that if they complain, their abusers will have them declared crazy or demented and lock them away from society. I know of one abuser who threatened to have his coworkers in the hospital system abuse his victims after he'd had them locked up - and actually worked in a psychiatric hospital!

It is time that we as a society stand up for our vulnerable members and say that we will no longer tolerate the apathy of our governments and hospitals when it comes to protecting the elderly!