New research by WalletHub has revealed that Ohio is among the top three states with the best elder abuse protections in place.
WalletHub compared and scored the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 16 key indicators of elder abuse protection in 3 overall categories – Prevalence, Resources, and Protection.
Ohio, according to the data, is the third best state with the strongest elder abuse protections in place. The Buckeye State received an overall score of 52.71 out of the highest score, 100.
While Ohio placed third overall, the state ranked first in the Protection category, which is based off of the following criteria:
- Financial Elderly-Abuse Laws;
- Eldercare Organizations & Services per Resident Aged 65 & Older;
- Presence of Elder-Abuse Forensic Centers;
- Presence of Elder Abuse Working Groups;
- Certified Volunteer Ombudsmen per Resident Aged 65 & Older;
- Frequency of Assisted-Living Facilities Inspections;
- Quality of Nursing Homes;
- Presence of Laws Allowing Surveillance Cams in Nursing Homes;
- Presence of Elder Justice Task Forces; and
- Presence of Elder-Abuse Shelters.
The study does note, however, Ohio’s elder financial fraud rate is estimated to be the tenth highest among all 50 states and D.C., indicating a “need for improvement in protecting the older Buckeye population’s financial stability.”
Meanwhile, Wisconsin and Massachusetts were ranked the top two best states with the strongest elder abuse protections in place, with overall scores of 62.45 and 55.07, respectively.
In 2021, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Esther’s Law, which allows Ohioans to put cameras in the care facility rooms of elders under their care, as long as they disclose the cameras to facility staff.
The law was passed through the Ohio General Assembly ten years after activist Steven Piskor used a hidden camera to catch employees at a nursing home facility run by MetroHealth Medical Center abusing his mother, Esther. The abuse was so severe that two members of the staff were jailed.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
