Mikey Rooney speaks out against Elder Abuse

“Elderly abuse has to be stopped, and it’s going to be a law and a crime,” said ninety year old Mickey Rooney after a fundraiser at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. In March, Mickey Rooney testified in front of the Senate Special Committee on Aging after he was allegedly the victim of elder abuse himself. From my experience, his testimony sums up elder abuse succinctly:

Elder abuse comes in many different forms – physical abuse, emotional abuse, or financial abuse. Each one is devastating in its own right. Many times, sadly, as with my situation, the elder abuse involves a family member. When that happens, you feel scared, disappointed, angry, and you can’t believe this is happening to you. You feel overwhelmed. The strength you need to fight it is complicated. You’re afraid, but you’re also thinking about your other family members. You’re thinking about the potential criticism of your family and friends. They may not want to accept the dysfunction that you need to share. Because you love your family and for other reasons, you might feel hesitant to come forward. You might not be able to make rational decisions. What other people see as generosity may, in reality, be the exploitation, manipulation,and sadly, emotional blackmail of older, more vulnerable members of the American public.

Often times, the abuser is not a stranger but is rather someone known to the victim, usually by blood. In Mr. Rooney’s case, the alleged perpetrator was Mr. Rooney’s own stepson. Mr. Rooney eventually took out a restraining order against him after verbal and physical abuse, which included taking his identification cards and denying him food and medicine. Only one in seven elders abuse cases are reported, although the numbers of the abused are likely to grow as the population ages.

Raxter Law is a local law firm located in Menifee, California that practices Elder Abuse, Estates, Probate, and other related areas of the law.