When you have an elderly family member in your care, finding the right care facility is a big part of your job and will likely also hold much of your concern and attention.
However, some states simply do a worse job than others when it comes to protecting the elderly against abuse. When deciding who to entrust your loved one to, it is important to have information like that at hand.
The problem of elder abuse
Wallet Hub takes a look at the states that have the worst elder abuse protection. They look into one estimate, which states that as many as 10 percent of the population over 60 years of age has suffered through a form of elderly abuse. Recent years have increased this problem even further.
Attention drawn to the issue has allowed for data collection centers to help map out some of the worst states for elder abuse protection.
State rankings
Tennessee, Montana, California, Nevada and South Carolina have the highest elder abuse, gross neglect and exploitation complaints.
Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine and Montana have the lowest total expenditures on the prevention of elder abuse.
Nebraska, Hawaii, Tennessee, Indiana and Florida have total long-term care planning and Ombudsman funding.
Rhode Island, Missouri, Texas, Delaware and Florida have the fewest services and organizations for elder care.
Alabama, Mississippi, Montana, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming all have the fewest certified Ombudsman volunteers.
Finally, West Virginia, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia and Louisiana have nursing homes with the lowest quality ratings.
When deciding who will take care of your loved one in their golden years, it is important to take each point into consideration.