My office has the longest name of any office in the structure of the Diocese of Tucson: Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection.
That title encompasses the three very important populations that we cover with the umbrella of our diocesan Safe Environment Program.
I think that most often folks associate my office with our efforts to protect the “Child” and the “Adolescent.”
But, what about the “Adult” in the title? Who is this adult that we want to protect?
In describing our responsibilities within the Safe Environment Program, we often include “vulnerable” to further define the adults with whom we are concerned.
Vulnerable adults, first and foremost, are those with physical, cognitive or psychological impairment that make them vulnerable to abuse or exploitation.
But, in the broadest sense, under our diocesan Code of Conduct for employees and volunteers, we have a responsibility to any adult with whom a priest or deacon, lay employee or volunteer has a ministerial relationship. The way we meet that responsibility is by knowing and keeping proper boundaries in ministry.
Among the adults that we are particularly concerned about are our elders. Just as we hold the little ones of our community in special care, so are we called to a particular reverence for those who carry many years.
Some of our priests and deacons, employees and volunteers are called to minister to elders by going into the homes or institutions in which elders live to bring the Eucharist and the comfort of Christ.
Entering into the living places of our elders is a special privilege. There are a whole set of boundaries unique to that experience.
In addition, being privileged to visit elders where they live places on us a responsibility to be on guard for signs that might indicate the elder is being mistreated.
In January 2007, I wrote in this space for the first time about the issue of elder abuse. (See www.diocesetucson.org/POCColumnArchives.html.)
Since late 2009, we have been engaged in a more systematic process of study and networking to learn more about the dangers that elders face. Here is some of what we have learned so far.
Each week I receive from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Arizona a summary of news items describing crimes that have been committed against elders. These crimes are all too prevalent.
Elders face all the risks for mistreatment that our young face, and more.
The three most common forms are financial exploitation, neglect and physical or emotional abuse by caregivers.
Complicating our efforts to protect the elderly from mistreatment is the fact that elders may be reluctant to complain about the person who is mistreating them for fear of losing the attention that is given to them or for fear that the mistreating person will be punished.
Further, when it comes to neglect, the elder may simply not be caring for himself or herself effectively.
These facts inhibit the efforts of law enforcement and social service agencies because the elder, as an adult, must be ready to file a complaint in order for there to be a crime.
Our clergy and lay employees and volunteers are in a privileged position whenever they serve elders.
Eucharistic Ministers, especially, because they visit with the homebound, hold a position of high responsibility.
In the coming months, our Safe Environment Program will be focusing more on protecting our vulnerable adults by developing education about what to look for and what to do if there is a reasonable suspicion that an elder is being mistreated or is otherwise in need of assistance.
Information about protecting the elderly from mistreatment is available at the National Center on Elder Abuse, www.ncea.aoa.gov. And, if you have a concern about an elderly person right now, you can call Adult Protective Services at 877-767-2385 or, in case of greater urgency, you should call 911.
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