708.361.0219
Abuse Prevention & Protection
Break the Silence: Help Prevent & Report Abuse of Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities
Pathlights’ trained professionals investigate abuse through the Illinois Department on Aging. Together we can protect our community and keep older adults and adults with disabilities safe.
Report concerns quickly and anonymously for suspected abuse of anyone age 60 and over or adults with disabilities age 18 and over.
- Dial 911 if it’s a life-threatening situation
- Call the State Hotline: 24-Hour Hotline
1-866-800-1409
1-888-206-1327 (TTY) - Call Pathlights
708-361-0219
Below are tools you can use to spread the word. Please visit Illinois Department on Aging for more information.
Download the entire toolkit or download assets individually below.
Did You Know?
- 1 in 10 older adults experience abuse, neglect, or exploitation every year.
- Abuse affects people across all socioeconomic groups, cultures, and races and can happen intentionally or unintentionally.
How Can You Help?
Recognize the types of abuse:
- Financial exploitation: The illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, property, or assets for someone else’s benefit.
- Emotional abuse: Inflicting mental pain, anguish, or distress on someone through verbal or nonverbal acts.
- Physical abuse: Inflicting physical pain or injury.
- Sexual abuse: Non-consensual sexual contact of any kind.
- Confinement: Restraining or isolating someone, other than for medical reasons.
- Willful deprivation: Denying medication, medical care, shelter, food, a therapeutic device, or other physical assistance, and exposing that person to the risk of physical, mental, or emotional harm—except when the older, competent adult has expressed a desire to go without such care.
- Abandonment: Desertion of a vulnerable person by anyone who has assumed the responsibility for care or custody of that person.
- Passive neglect: The failure by those responsible to provide food, shelter, health care, or protection for an older and/or disabled adult.
- Self-neglect: The failure of a person to perform essential, self-care tasks and that failure threatens themselves.
Education Training Video
This 20-minute video was created by Pathlights to help community leaders, local governments, businesses, and professionals within the townships of Palos, Lemont, Orland, Stickney and Worth identify and prevent abuse of older adults and adults with disabilities.
Additional Resources
Here are more free tools you can use to educate the community.
1. Flyer
1. Flyer
2. Wallet Card
3. Bookmark
4. Magnet
5. Card (5” X 7”)
6. Info Slips
7. Brochure
Cantidades limitadas disponibles, solicite una cantidad a continuación.
8. Video
Watch this short video and learn more about how we team up with organizations like the Cook County Sheriff's Office and community groups to educate and prevent all types of abuse faced by older adults and adults with disabilities.
Social Media
Please follow, like and share our posts from our Facebook page OR create your own! June is World Elder Awareness Month. Here are sample posts you can put on your own social media in June to build awareness and prevent abuse of older adults and adults with disabilities.
Sample posts:
Post 1:
June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Older people throughout the United States lose an estimated $2.6 billion or more annually due to financial abuse and exploitation. In our area, @Pathlights’ trained professionals investigate abuse through the Illinois Department on Aging. Report concerns quickly and anonymously for suspected abuse of anyone age 60 and over or adults with disabilities age 18 and over. Dial 911 if it’s a life-threatening situation, call the State Hotline: 24-Hour Hotline at 1-866-800-1409 or call Pathlights at 708-361-0219. Together we can protect our community and keep older adults and adults with disabilities safe. #WEAAD
Post 2:
Older people are mistreated more often than we think due to the lack of supports for older people in our communities. Sadly, about 1 in 10 people aged 60 and over will experience some form of abuse or neglect. What's even more alarming is that only 1 in 14 of these cases are reported. June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month and @Pathlights is helping raise awareness about this issue and sharing information about support services and community resources people can access to help themselves and others. Visit www.pathlights.org to learn more. #WEAAD
View the full list of services offered by Pathlights.
