SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Candidate for County Supervisor Janessa Goldbeck says elder abuse and neglect is a growing issue in San Diego County.
“This is really personal to me, my mom had Alzheimer's and I came back to San Diego County to take care of her. I want other families to have the support and resources they need to take care of parents and aging grandparents,” Goldbeck said.
She spoke alongside Congressman Scott Peters and three senior healthcare providers on Tuesday. They backed her ‘No excuse for elder abuse’ plan for senior health and well-being.
“As a health professional, I, unfortunately, witness the profound impact of elder abuse and neglect on our seniors fairly often," said Dr. Karl Steinberg, San Diego Geriatrician. "It’s disheartening to see our elder's vulnerability and trust taken advantage of.”
Right now, Goldbeck says there’s one legal provider for all seniors in San Diego County, resulting in many being turned away. She hopes to expand legal services to respond to elder exploitation. She plans to back more funding to reform the County’s Health and Human Services Department.
“We want to make sure that health and human services has all the resources it needs to provide seniors with the care for in-home supportive services and all the things that are currently available but not at the scale that’s necessary,” Goldbeck said.
Goldbeck points to the County Grand Jury’s recommendations to end elder abuse. These include launching awareness campaigns, securing funding for senior centers, and creating a central reporting hub for incidents of abuse.
“Bottom line, there should be one hotline you can call if you need help. We need to make sure that’s swiftly implemented in the County.”
She says the County hasn’t done enough to implement these solutions. Goldbeck says the other top issues she would address are homelessness, affordable housing, and mental health services. The last day to vote in the special election is Aug. 15.
