CLEVELAND — One in 10 seniors will endure abuse in their later years, and the majority of that potential abuse is being reported in Northeast Ohio.
Angela Perciful and Nadene Nicoson’s father died last September. They described him as stubborn but loving. He was a proud Marine veteran who served in Vietnam.
“Two years prior, he started to decline slightly,” said Perciful.
Since his passing, Perciful and Nicoson have uncovered years of abuse their father endured.
They said their third sister was psychologically and financially abusing him starting the last couple years of his life, up until his death.
“She made me mad in a lot of ways, but she's very manipulative, and if I didn't do what she wanted, then I wouldn't be able to see my dad in his last few weeks either,” said Nicoson.
Perciful and Nicoson said tens of thousands of dollars are now missing from his estate.
“I was isolated from everybody, and then that's when I started uncovering all these things,” said Perciful. "Then, as I started finding financials, Nadine, who was dealing with her at that time, was just completely flabbergasted by what she did. She lied to everybody.”
Ohio Jobs and Family Services Director Matt Damschroder, said in 2022, adult protective service agencies received 36,000 reports of potential abuse and 14,000 of those reports were from Northeast Ohio. In the first three months of 2023, this region received about 3,700 referrals. If Northeast Ohio referrals stay at that pace or increase, it’s on track to surpass 2022 statistics.
“In terms of the number of folks who are reporting, I think it's positive in that we're making inroads and bringing attention to this important, important subject,” said Damschroder. “But certainly, you know, there's more that can be done.”
Damschroder believes more reports come from Northeast Ohio since it’s a large population center of the state. He adds that financial elder abuse is the most common.
“Things to look for are unexplained injuries, unexplained changes in behavior in terms of financial exploitation, unpaid bills, new credit cards, increased cash withdrawals,” Damschroder added.
Perciful has called multiple state agencies and attorneys for help but said nothing can be done since her father has already passed. She’s devastated she couldn’t save her father from the abuse.
“Usually, it's somebody that's close to you, somebody that you trust, that's going to do this to you, and that's what makes it so bad,” Perciful said.
She hopes her story encourages other Northeast Ohio families to be vigilant and reach out for help sooner.
“You don't realize that sometimes because you're so worried about just trying to love that person, or other fights, or other things, and other family dynamics, that you don't understand what people are doing,” added Perciful. “Because it's your sister, you would trust somebody like that to do the right thing, and unfortunately, by the time you realize damage is done, usually it's too late.”
25% of Ohioans are over the age of 60. Call 855-644-6377 to report any potential elder abuse.
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