By Ji Hyun Lim
It was only one year ago and thousands of miles away. Mr. and Mrs. Lee* were respected elderly, living in Canton, China. Family members addressed them as ziou-foo (grandfather) and ziou-mo (grandmother). As the oldest members of the household, the couple was thought to be experienced and wise, the bedrock of the family.
But their lives changed. Their status as “heads of the household” evaporated almost as soon as they stepped onto American soil. In the United States, they found themselves at the mercy of their son, the breadwinner of the family, and their daughter-in-law. Their frailty and inability to speak out didn’t help the situation. The cultural taboo of openly discussing their torture, coupled with language barriers and financial dependence on their caregivers, were an overwhelming obstacle.
The Lees suffered from one of the least talked about acts of violence: elder abuse.
Abuse comes in many different forms. The National Aging Resource Center on Elder Abuse describes seven categories of elder abuse: physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, neglect (physical, emotional, financial), sexual abuse, self-neglect, and other.
According to a 1998 study by the American Public Human Services Association, an estimated half a million seniors were abused in 1996. Moreover, the report, “National Elder Abuse Incidence Study,” estimates that for every reported incidence of elder abuse, neglect or self-neglect, approximately five cases go unreported.
In the Bay Area, the numbers are grim. San Francisco Protective Services reports that 10.06 percent of the 2,121 active cases of elder abuse reported as of March 2001, involved Asian Americans. Of those, 6.81 percent were of Chinese descent, 2.7 percent were Southeast Asian American, .09 percent were of Japanese descent, and .57 percent were Korean American. Self Help for the Elderly, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization funded by United Way, deals with some 50 to 60 cases of abuse each year in the Chinese community alone.
The Lees
Sixty-nine-year-old Lee and his 68-year-old wife immigrated to the United States in March 2000. The journey promised many things to this couple — mild weather, the chance to live close to their son, his new wife and their children, and all the conveniences America was reputed to offer.
Weak and easily exhausted, the Lees sought refuge in their son’s home. They forfeited $25,000 — their entire savings — to help their son buy a house. In return, they expected they would live their golden years happily dependent on their children.
Little did they know, the American dream would become an American nightmare.
Their son’s wife, they say, began to reveal a cruel side of her personality. She allegedly forced her in-laws to clean the yard, cook, take care of their grandchildren, wash dishes — all the domestic chores. The daughter-in-law often complained about the food Mrs. Lee cooked, and would eat canned foods instead. Then, the Lees were told to eat by themselves, as if they were hired help.
The daughter-in-law hardly spoke to them, creating immense tension in the house, the Lees say. When she did talk to them, she scolded them for housework poorly done and told them that they were obligated to work for the family in exchange for room and board. At times, she slammed her hand on the table and called them “dead old things.”
When the daughter-in-law received her green card, she wanted to evict the Lees. Penniless and in despair, the elderly couple say they endured verbal abuse. The daughter-in-law accused them of not doing a thorough job cleaning the house, and told them to work harder.
The Lees say they endured psychological torture. They explain that depression enveloped them daily, and fears loomed that their physical and mental health would get worse from the abuse.
Finally, they turned to Self-Help for the Elderly. They found a case manager who spoke their native Cantonese tongue. Currently, they attend a support group and await housing options.
Help for the Elderly
Lynn Fang is the sole social worker/case manager at Self-Help for the Elderly, a seniors’ advocacy organization that has been open since 1984. Petite and soft-spoken, Fang has been a champion for victims of elder abuse, in particular those in the Chinese-speaking senior community.
Fang explains that cases like these are more common than people might think. And many incidences go unreported. Because the Chinese culture inhibits families from sharing problems with outsiders, some victims remain closeted.
 Of the reported abuse, according to a 1996 United States Department of Health and Human Services finding, 20 percent of the incidences were perpetrated by family members, 17.3 percent suffered from abuse by hospital workers, 11.3 percent from law enforcement, 8.4 percent by medical authorities, and 9.1 percent by friends or neighbors. (8.4 percent of the cases involved self-infliction.)
According to Fang, in Chinese and many other Asian cultures, immigration to the United States changes the family structure and values. Emphasis is placed on children — and lavishing them with material goods, Fang says. The parents, who earn the money, stìrt seeing themselves as the heads of the household. Meanwhile, grandparents, who often don’t work, can be viewed as financial burdens. In the United States, the ideal family structure is the nuclear family, not the extended household.
“The older immigrants stick to traditional ethnic values, while the younger generation becomes westernized,” Fang said. “Their children think that the government can take care of them through social security and SSI, and they are not mentally or emotionally concerned with the elderly.”
She explains language is also a major barrier for seniors. This prevents many seniors from seeking help.
“Their eyes are blind because they can’t read English,” Fang says. “Their ears are deaf because they do not understand English. Their mouths are mute because they do not speak English.”
The inability to adapt to Western ways, Fang says, causes elderly immigrants to become highly dependent on their children. She adds that many seniors don’t know how or where to report abuse. So instead, they endure it.
“They don’t want to worsen relationships with the abuser either,” Fang says. “Problems can escalate, and sometimes conflicts are irreparable.”
Government Addresses Elder Abuse
Elder abuse is not isolated to the home. Last year, Attorney General Bill Lockyer filed criminal action against the owners/operators of a Los Angeles nursing home, Orchard Gables, which was accused of embezzlement, theft and conspiracy.
The case brought to light the issue of elder abuse. And it spurred civil enforcement action against the owners of a chain of nursing homes, where more than 100 patients allegedly suffered from abuse. Investigators found over two dozen different types of violations, ranging from unsanitary conditions to physical abuse.
Prior to the civil enforcement action, a 1998 report by then-Senator Bill Lockyer revealed that only 20 percent of all Los Angeles county adult protective service agencies had adequate resources to respond to cases of senior abuse.
“Elder abuse is a very serious crime, and older Californians clearly need to be able to live in dignity and with the kind of care they ought to have when they live in a nursing home,” Sandra Michioku, spokesperson for Lockyer, said. “They went to war, they built the country and they have invested their lives, and now they deserve to live in a way that they can live in dignity.”
Prior to January 1, 1999, California law required only physical and sexual abuse to be reported, but the definition of abuse has been broadened to include other kinds of violations.
Senate bill AB 2199, passed in January 1999, required Adult Protective Services (APS) to establish a 24-hour emergency response system. The law also states that all charges of elder abuse be investigated in person within 10 days. APS must also coordinate community resources for the victim and find emergency shelters. Furthermore, the law defines the mandated reporter as any person who has assumed full or intermittent responsibility for the care or custody of an elder or dependent adult. Any mandated reporter who willfully fails to report abuse, which results in death or great bodily injury, shall be punished by up to one year in county jail, a fine up to $5,000, or both imprisonment and a fine.
“Operation Guardians,” a state program also spearheaded by Lockyer, allows for surprise visits to nursing homes to check for health and safety violations, and to encourage all facilities in the state to consistently deliver quality care.
“We are responsible for enforcing the laws statewide,” Michioku said. “We would bring action on the worst of the worst cases. There may be other cases handled locally.”
In Santa Clara County, 15 law enforcement agencies are attempting to crack down on physical and financial abuse of the elderly with the launch of the “Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Protocol,” which calls for investigation and prosecution of elder and dependent adult homicide, sexual and physical abuse, neglect, isolation, abandonment, abduction, and financial abuse. The protocol includes: reporting incidents of abuse or neglect; assessing the situation through the evaluation of specific physical, financial and behavioral factors; interviewing the victims and suspects; and taking legal action with the District Attorney’s Office.
The county’s Department of Aging and Adult Services responded to financial abuse of the elderly by creating the Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST) in May 1999. FAST is a collaborative effort among Public Guardian, Adult Protective Services, the DistÃict Attorney’s office, County Counsel, and other law enforcement agencies. Since its inception, FAST has protected and recovered more than $59 million in assets for the elderly in Santa Clara.
The nonprofit sector has also been active in combating elder abuse. In San Francisco, Self-Help for the Elderly, in partnership with the San Francisco Consortium of Elder Abuse Prevention, offers weekly support group sessions. The organization also does advocacy work and creates brochures to educate the public.
Mrs. Wong’s Story
Mrs. Wong*, 77, seeks peace, comfort and a long life. She wears a scarf tied around her neck and a brown cardigan, as she hobbles into a Chinatown building to tell her story to AsianWeek. Carefully expressing her emotions with her hand gestures, she reveals her struggles as a victim of psychological and financial abuse by her daughter.
Mrs. Wong arrived in the United States in October 1995. Shortly after, she says her daughter began abusing her verbally and financially.
In 1999, because of new immigration law, Mrs. Wong was eligible for SSI, but her daughter wanted her to go back to China anyway. The daughter took her mother to the airport. Before Mrs. Wong boarded the plane, her daughter told her to get off at Beijing for fear that her husband, who was doing business in Shanghai at the time, would see her and find out his wife had evicted her mother. For a year, Mrs. Wong readjusted to her life in China and was content to make it her home. She attempted to contact her daughter through letters, but heard no response.
In January 2000, the daughter called Mrs. Wong to tell her she was approved for SSI. Her daughter asked her mother to return. At first, Mrs. Wong refused, but she eventually acquiesced.
When Mrs. Wong returned to the United States, the situation was no better than it had been when she left. Her daughter tried to isolate her. She would not let her use the phone, write letters, learn English, go to citizenship class, or talk to her son-in-law. Whenever a church friend wanted to call her, Mrs. Wong would set appointments so they could call her when her daughter wasn’t home.
Mrs. Wong received approximately $500 a month from SSI, but her daughter cashed the check by forging her signature. She gave her mother a monthly allowance of $20. Mrs. Wong asked for $50, but her daughter refused and claimed the money was for both of them because she sponsored her mother to come to the United States. Mrs. Wong’s daughter promised to give her mom half the money, but kept it anyway.
Mrs. Wong asked the pastor to talk to the daughter. Police referred her to Self-Help for the Elderly. Convinced she could not reconcile differences with her daughter, Mrs. Wong moved into a rooming house. Self-Help for the Elderly found her a place to live in August of last year. Her daughter declared she would never call her “mom” again.
Mrs. Wong is attempting to have a full life alone. She joins activities such as tai chi in the morning, and attends church. All the pressure she endured before moving out has subsided.
Says Wong: “I used to feel like a mouse who was afraid to do anything wrong.”
* Names have been changed to protect privacy. |
