Florida Ranks Only So-So For Elder Protection: Study

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Despite being one of the most popular states for retirees, Florida ranked only 22nd in a new study of the states that fight hardest for elder protection. Personal finance website WalletHub examined 14 key areas in ranking the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The website considered a number of factors including share of complaints involving elder abuse, gross neglect and exploitation to the presence of financial elder abuse laws and other factors.

"With the share of U.S. adults aged 65 and older expected to be 1 in 5 by the year 2030 and more than 95 percent of elder-abuse cases going unreported every year," WalletHub said in releasing its report this week on 2018’s States with the Best Elder-Abuse Protections.

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Florida ranked sixth for complaints involving elder abuse, gross neglect and exploitation; 36th for total expenditures on elder-abuse prevention; 51st for total long-term care ombudsman-program funding; 51st for number of eldercare organizations and services; 32nd for number of certified volunteer ombudsmen and 13th for nursing home quality.

The best states were Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Nevada, Michigan and Arizona, according to WalletHub. The worst states were South Carolina, Wyoming and New Jersey.

"Unless states take action to prevent further abuse, the problem will grow as America becomes an increasingly aging nation," WalletHub penned. "The U.S. Census Bureau expects the population aged 65 and older to nearly double from 43.1 million in 2012 to 83.7 million in 2050, much to the credit of aging Baby Boomers who began turning 65 in 2011. And by just 2030, 1 in 5 U.S. residents will be retirement age."

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