LANSING - To commemorate Wednesday as Older Michiganians Day, the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) and its partners are educating the public about how older adults can protect themselves from financial exploitation.

Last month, the Southfield-based Area Agency on Aging 1-B held a series of rallies in southeast Michigan leading up to Older Michiganians Day. The rallies highlighted increases in the number of seniors living in the area. For example, in Macomb County this year, the age 60 and older population is growing at a rate of 13 per day.

"The growing senior population means we need to be especially vigilant," said DHS Director Ismael Ahmed. "One in five older adults has been abused, neglected or exploited, so I urge everyone to be on the lookout for elder abuse, financial or otherwise, and to report it whenever they see or suspect it."

A DHS adult abuse toll-free hotline - 800-996-6228 - received more than 1,400 referrals for financial exploitation last year.

"When abuse is documented in an investigation, we can help victims put stop-gap measures in place to protect them," DHS adult services administrator Cynthia Farrell said. "That could mean revoking a family member's power of attorney, filing an alert with a credit card company or filing a police complaint."

"Unfortunately, many of those who take advantage of people in their senior years are family members," said Sharon L. Gire, MSW, director of the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging. Financial exploitation comes in many forms. "Children may write checks to themselves out of a parent's account, empty out a savings account or use a credit card without permission," she added.

"Some signs to look for include missing bank cards, valuables that disappear without an explanation and ‘lost' checkbooks," Gire said.

The Office of Services to the Aging provides seniors with resources and information at www.michigan.gov/miseniors

"Our work on this front is part of the DHS mission to protect the state's vulnerable children, adults and families," Ahmed said.

For more information, please visit the DHS Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/dhs