Murphy – Walking is said to be great exercise, but a recent walk also served a bigger purpose.
At 6 p.m. June 15, about 50 people gathered under the pavilion by the old Rock Gym at Konehete Park. It was one of two walks in Cherokee County, with a second one planned in Andrews at the same time.
The 10th annual Elder Abuse Awareness Walk brought seniors as well as younger folks out to participate in the hourlong walk, with water, snacks and cold neck cloths provided. Ann Lukens, an emergency medical technician with the Hiwassee Dam Volunteer Fire Department, was on scene to assist with any medical issues.
The annual walk is intended to bring an “out of sight, out of mind” issue to the forefront, as a large group of people with a message alongside the roadways would be hard to miss. Vickie Smith came out to participate.
“It’s wonderful,” she said of the walk. “It is absolutely one of the best things they can do.”
The mission was to educate folks about elder abuse, which is an ever-present concern.
“One in 10 adults 60 years of age and older are victims of some form of maltreatment. Annually, that’s about 5 million Americans. For every one case known about, there are 24 others that are never reported to us,” said Daunita Maennle, adult protective services unit supervisor with the Cherokee County Department of Social Services.
Sadly, 60 percent of all perpetrators are family members.
One of the fastest-growing crimes is financial scams. The Better Business Bureau’s research shows that in 2020, there was roughly $1.75 million lost in financial scams involving those of all ages. In 2021, that number jumped to $445 million.
DSS and Reach of Cherokee County Inc. work closely together to offer seniors numerous resources, services, products and safe places to go if they need to flee. Amanda Hamby with Reach had a table set up showing some of the items offered to help seniors, including toilet paper, fire extinguishers, safety alarms, fans, heaters and blankets.
Cecilia Crawford-Faulkner, executive director with Reach of Cherokee County, said of the seniors, “They’ve lived their lives, they should not be abused.”
For details, resources or assistance, call DSS at 837-7455 or Reach at 837-2097. The crisis line number is 837-8064.