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June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, and the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) is participating by encouraging community members to Wear Purple on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), June 15, to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was launched on June 15, 2006, by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. The purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes that affect it.

To honor the 1,469 seniors in Tulare County who reported some form of abuse last year, HHSA will be planting purple flags on the lawn at Tulare County Government Plaza on Mooney Boulevard in Visalia.

Purple, traditionally associated with royalty, dignity and respect, was chosen as the color to describe elders and community members are encouraged to wear purple in support of prevention of elder abuse and neglect. The purple flags will fly at Government Plaza for the entire month of June.

In 2022 in Tulare County, prosecutors filed 33 felony counts and 17 misdemeanor counts of elder and dependent adult abuse. Tulare County District Attorney victim advocates served over 1,000 victims of the crime at various stages of the criminal jus-tice process.

“This year looks like a return to form for TCDA outreach to our senior community,” said Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward. “For the first time since the before the pandemic, our office will have a strong presence at Senior Day in the Park in May to meet with seniors and provide valuable resources on scams and other issues impact-ing the community.

“Throughout June, we will once again be hitting the airwaves with our annual elder abuse awareness ads on TV and radio,” he added. “We encourage any group or club focused on senior issues to contact us for presentation opportunities. Call the TCDA Victim Services Division at (559) 636-5471 to schedule. Our website (https://tulareda.org/elder-abuse) is also a great resource.”

“If you suspect elder abuse, you can contact law enforcement or call the County Adult Protective Services toll-free, 24-hour-a-day hotline at 1-877-657-3092 to report confidentially,” said Ward.