Kane teams up with Kendall, DeKalb to investigate elder abuse

Kane County officials Wednesday announced they were expanding their team that reviews suspicious senior deaths and cases of possible elder abuse and exploitation to include neighboring Kendall and DeKalb counties.

The Tri-County Elder Fatality Review Team will meet seven times a year — the first time likely in August — and will include representatives from the state's attorney's office, coroner's office, sheriff's department, the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Aging and other agencies.

In addition to reviewing suspicious deaths of people 60 and older, the group hopes to share information and identify policies to help others spot and possibly prevent elder abuse.

Kane County formed its elder death review team in 2007 and has reviewed 21 cases. No criminal charges resulted, but it sparked improvements, such as teaching first responders like paramedics about signs of abuse.

Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said he reached out in February to officials in DeKalb and Kendall counties.

McMahon noted how counties have agencies and systems in place to investigate child abuse.

With one in eight Americans being age 65 or older and the population only going to grow, now is the time to act, he said.

“Comparatively, elder abuse is light years behind,” McMahon said. “It is still too easy to abuse, exploit and neglect seniors. It's critical that we put in place systems now.”

Officials say one in 13 seniors is abused, neglected or exploited, but only one in 23 cases of abuse is reported. To put that in perspective, with 50,000 seniors in Kane, it could mean 3,800 seniors have been abused and of those, only about 165 cases will be reported.

“This just made perfect sense,” said Eric Weis, Kendall County state's attorney, who joined McMahon and other officials in announcing the new team Wednesday at the Kane County Judicial Center.

The Tri-County team will not add to the payroll in each county and DeKalb County State's Attorney Clay Campbell said taxpayers want agencies to work together and pool their resources.

“Rather than sit around and wait for a fatality to occur, it's a unique joining of forces today to be proactive,” he said.

Officials also ask residents to be vigilant and call the statewide, 24-hour Elder Abuse Hotline at (866) 800-1409 to report suspected abuse or neglect.