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By Michele Walter I hope everyone had an opportunity to be present for the "Blue Zones Project" presented by Reuben Gonzales or has watched it on Channel 97. We are very excited for this project. Unfortunately, I hate to have to write about this, but I have received several calls regarding elder abuse. So, I'm going to give a little information regarding this. What is Elder Abuse? Just as some of our young are vulnerable to abuse in the home, so are some of their grandparents. e organization, Age Concern, says elder abuse is when a person aged 65 or more suers harmful physical, psychological, sexual, material, or social eects caused by the behavior of another person with whom they have a relationship implying trust. Elder abuse comes under four categories: • Physical – iniction of physical pain, injury, or force • Psychological – behavior that causes mental or emotional anguish or fear • Sexual – sexually abusive and exploitative actions entailing threats, force, or the person's inability to give consent • Financial – the illegal or improper exploitation and/or use of funds or other resources Not all domestic violence is physical. Not all family violence is physical. Psychological and emotional abuse doesn't leave cuts and bruises and broken bones. But the unsaid emotional damage can be as great and the eect as long lasting. Psychological abuse can be caused by repeated put downs: name calling, intimidation, and harassment that make victims feel bad about themselves. is can also include mind-game manipulation and control of someone's money, vehicle or contact with friends as a way of asserting power over them. Family violence is not okay. Violence in families is not okay, and it should never be ignored because "it's just a domestic" situation. Reporting Elder Abuse! In most cases, someone else knows it's happening and does nothing to stop it because they don't want to get involved or they don't want to be seen to be interfering. In many cases, the victim is too scared to speak out, fearing more violence. e attitude that "it's a private matter that should stay in the family," no longer washes. Recent high-prole cases have shown that children and adults have died because no one reported the violence. If you or anyone in your household is being abused or in any danger, don't hesitate to call 911. e police will respond quickly to help. e police make every eort to protect people from violence. Stick up for the victims and report any instances of violence to the police. You can call APS (Adult Protective Services) to report elder abuse 24 hours a day at (800) 491-7123. You may also call Cynthia Mendez from CARE (Caommunity Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment) out of the Indio oce at (760) 600-6064 and her email is cymendez@rivco.org. Questions or concerns: call Michele Walter at (951) 202-8009 or email crystalwater@dc.rr.com. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | FEBRUARY 2025 | 7 Community Awareness Program PLEASE REPORT ANY SUSPICIOUS INDIVIDUALS, ACTIVITIES, AND THEFTS DIRECTLY TO BANNING POLICE DEPARTMENT BY CALLING 911. Since taking oce, I have prioritized transparency and active engagement. I truly value your feedback, which is why I'd like to inform you about the Riverside County budget priorities survey. Recently, we launched a budget priorities survey with the goal of providing you with more opportunities to participate in the an- nual budget process. is is a chance to voice your concerns! I encourage you to provide input into how county taxpayer dollars should be spent across county departments and services for the upcoming scal year. For more, please visit rivco.org/budget-information. As always, you can contact my liaison, David Lara-Tellez at: DLTellez@rivco. org, (951) 809-1257. Supervisor's Message By Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez

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