2017: "Left to Suffer": Elder Abuse

A STAR TRIBUNE SPECIAL REPORT, 5-part Series on Elder Abuse

Story by Chris Serres
Photos by David Joles
November 12, 2017

Part 1: Abused, Ignored Across Minnesota

Every year, hundreds of residents at senior care centers around Minnesota are assaulted, raped or robbed in crimes that leave lasting trauma and pain for the victims and their families. Yet the vast majority of these crimes are never resolved, and the perpetrators never punished, because state regulators lack the staff and expertise to investigate them. And thousands of complaints are simply ignored. State records examined by the Star Tribune show the scale of the failure.

Last year alone, the Minnesota Department of Health received 25,226 allegations of neglect, physical abuse, unexplained serious injuries, and thefts in state-licensed homes for the elderly. 97% were never investigated.

"We are putting up with a level of criminality in senior facilities that would be unthinkable in any other setting," said Amy Sweasy, an assistant Hennepin County attorney who handles elder abuse cases.

"It's painful to think about how many of these criminals are getting off the hook because we're sending these cases down an administrative black hole," said Nancy Fitzsimons, a professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, who leads a state committee on abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults. "We, as a state, must recognize that these are crimes and they need to be treated as crimes."

http://www.startribune.com/senior-home-residents-are-abused-and-ignored-across-minnesota/450623913/