'No Excuse for Elder Abuse,' Says Royal Oak Judge

There's no excuse for elder abuse.

That message is a passion of Judge Derek Meinecke of Royal Oak's 44th District Court. Meinecke is a long-time champion of standing up for the elderly.

This week, Meinecke joined Gov. Rick Snyder, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and other leaders throughout southeast Michigan to combat elder abuse through a public awareness campaign.

"We want to create awareness among citizens," Meinecke said. "We want the average joe to not be nervous about pointing out elder abuse."

Not saying or doing anything is wrong, according to the judge.

"It comes down to common sense. We want people to know the signs to look for."

Some of the signs and symptoms of abuse, according to Meinecke, include:

• a new person is around your neighbor's house, who is not a professional caregiver, and you notice that person brings consistently brings a boyfriend or girlfriend or some other person by
• a family member or other person moves in with your elderly neighbor and you see the person coming and going but no longer see your elderly neighbor
• an active senior now appears to be a shut-in
• evidence of inadequate care or poor standards of hygiene
• complaints of being physically assaulted (yes, sometimes elders try to tell someone they’ve been abused and no one listens) 

"For your own peace of mind, there is an emergency hotline you can call and someone will come out to check on your neighbor," Meinecke said. "Your neighbor will get help or you will find out everything is OK. It's a win-win."

Meinecke warns to never confront a suspicious caregiver and put yourself or a senior in danger.

If you notice unusual activity, call 855-444-3911 and report it. Visit www.facebook.com/NoExcuseForElderAbuse for more information.