`Senior Tsunami' warnings being heard throught the land

By Troy Anderson and Yong Kim Staff Writers

With Los Angeles County facing a "senior tsunami" in the decades ahead, county officials are not adequately prepared to deal with the explosion in demand for senior services and a growing rate of physical and financial crimes against the elderly, the civil grand jury warns in a new report.

As baby boomers age, the county's senior population is expected to double from 1.6 million today to 3 million by 2030, placing increasing pressure on the nearly 100 programs in 24 county departments that provide services to seniors and adults with disabilities, according to county data.

"This pending `senior tsunami' will dramatically impact the need for senior services for elders," grand jurors wrote. "This civil grand jury investigation shows the county is not adequately prepared as the population ages for the significant increase in demand for elder abuse prevention programs and services."

Also with the rise in the senior population has come a big jump in crimes targeting the elderly.

Michael Gargiulo, deputy-in- charge of the Elder Abuse Section in the District Attorney's Office, said the number of elder abuse cases his office is prosecuting has nearly doubled from about 40 per month in 2005 to 90 now.

In one recent case that prosecutors said was particularly disturbing, a 21-year-old former employee of an upscale Calabasas assisted-living center is scheduled for trial in August, accused of torturing and physically abusing an elderly patient before his death.

Prosecutors say Cesar Ulloa, who had worked at Silverado Senior Living, allegedly punched Elmore Kittower, 80, and attacked him numerous times, resulting in numerous rib fractures and other injuries.

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With the nonchalant view of authorities towards elder abuse it comes as no surprise that elder people are being tortured before their death, we advise anyone with elderly parents that wishes to avoid the forced confiscation of assets and the torture of their relatives to find a safe haven outside the US