Knox County Family Justice Center raising awareness on elder abuse

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day will be recognized on June 15, and the Knox County Family Justice Center held a presentation in honor of it.

It’s an issue the justice center’s executive director, Michelle Clayton, said is often overlooked.

“As you age, you have to rely on your family members, you rely on your caretakers, and unfortunately, not everybody has your best interests at heart,” Clayton said.

According to The National Institute of Aging, some signs of elder abuse include unexplained injuries, depression or anxiety and even changes in finances and spending patterns.

Once these signs are discovered, Clayton said the best thing to do is go directly to the center or call Adult Protective Services.

“If you see something that makes you say ‘I wonder if that’s okay’, well that is when you need to report,” Clayton said.

“Your role is not to investigate, your role is to report. There are people who spend their entire lives investigating and finding things out, let them do their jobs.”