Senior Victims of Crime are Not Alone

I recently read with shock and disgust about Jim Shea, an 84-year-old man who was beaten by four teens while taking his daily walk through Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park (https://www.philly.com/philly/news/20111020__Geezer__won_t_let_thugs_ruin_his_walks.html).  The cowardly assailants did not take his wallet or phone.  They just attacked him and ran off.  As Shea commented, it seems the attack “…was just to get the old geezer”.  Shea suffered a broken nose and received stitches to close a gash on his face.   The good  news is that Shea has not let the attack intimidate him; he plans to return to his daily  walks as soon as possible. Unfortunately, there are many seniors who are victimized by crime – from assault to  burglary to financial exploitation – and feel overwhelmed and scared.  They need  help coping and figuring out what to do next.  CARIE provides that assistance through our PAVE program.  Our victims’ advocates are available to help older adults understand the criminal justice process, accompany them to court, apply for crime victims compensation, connect to counseling and receive other services as well, such as assistance signing up for Medicare.  If you know an older adult who is the victim of a crime please call us and see how we can help.  Contact us at 1-800-356-3606 or at CARIE OnLINE. Written by David Rosenberg, Deputy Director