4/9/18 – 5:35 A.M.

The number of elder abuse cases in Hancock County continues to climb. The Hancock County Department of Job and Family Services reported 225 cases of elder abuse in 2017. That’s up from 162 cases in 2014. The agency saw a 14 percent increase in reported cases between 2016 and 2017 alone.

While officials in the agency believe the opioid crisis has contributed to the increase, they haven’t kept specific numbers. JFS Director Diana Hoover says in some instances younger family members find ways to steal money from an older relative to get money for drugs.

She said the agency is also seeing violence as part of these cases. Angie Rader is the administrator for Child and Adult Protective Services at JFS. She says relatives should look for changes in behavior from older loved ones as a possible signal something isn’t right.

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