ROCKINGHAM — People of all ages gathered at the Richmond County Department of Social Services building on Monday, June 1 to spread awareness of elder abuse.
Participants walked around the block wearing t-shirts and holding signs that advertised the Elderly Abuse Awareness Walk, as well as the Elderly Abuse Awareness Day.
“Elder abuse remains widely under recognized and under reported,” said Adult Services Supervisor and Medical Transportation Coordinator Karen Steen. “Addressing this issue requires more than raising awareness. It calls for stronger systems that can prevent abuse and respond effectively when it happens, while respecting the dignity, independence, and rights of older persons.”
Statistics show the number of people over the age of 60 is expected to grow 38% between the years 2019 to 2030, which would make the number go from 1 billion to 1.4 billion.
“…this increase will be the greatest and most rapid in the developing world, and recognizing that greater attention needs to be paid to the specific challenges affecting older persons, including in the field of human rights,” they said.
Steen also discussed Richmond County statistics. In 2024, there were 153 reported cases of elder abuse. In 2025, there were 201 reported cases. The 2026 year is still going, as the year for the statistics runs from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, but there are 180 cases so far without including May and June statistics. These are only the reported cases, as elder abuse remains heavily under-reported.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing or aware of elderly abuse, please take the time to reach out to the Department of Social Services and file a report. You can call the adult protective services department at 910-997-8415 or you can visit http://www.richmondcountync.org/331/Adult-Protective-Services.