Housing Options for Senior Citizens:
Domestic violence knows no age limit. A person can experience domestic violence in later life at the hands of intimate partners, caregivers or family members. Elder abuse reporting is on the rise, and victims often need to access specialized housing that assist not only with the abuse, but also with the other challenges related to growing older.
Abusive tactics that are commonly used against the elderly include:
- Financial exploitation;
- Neglect or refusal to help with personal care;
- Neglect or refusal to help with personal care;
- Emotional abuse;
- Isolation;
- Physical abuse;
- Withholding medications and/or food;
- Limiting access to transportation or other ways of increasing one’s independence.
For more information on abuse in later life, visit the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life or the National Center on Elder Abuse.
Below are housing options for survivors of elder abuse:
DWELLING PLACE SHELTER FOR ABUSED ELDERLY
Address: 2812 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20020-3855
Hotline: 202.529.5991
Phone: 202.583.7602
Fax: 202.723.4814
Web: http://some.org/senior-services/
Services: Transitional housing (7-bed shelter); hot meals and clothing; case management; medical, dental and psychiatric services are offered, as well as counseling in the areas of housing, nutrition and family relations.
Eligibility Requirements: Must be 60 years of age or older; must be a survivor of physical or emotional abuse, facing eviction, or facing homelessness and vulnerable to violence.
If you are over the age of 60 and are experiencing an abusive relationship and need help finding housing and support contact:
- Adult Protective Services, 202.541.3950, for emergency assistance from a community advocate;
- Legal Counsel for the Elderly (an AARP project), 202.434.2120 or 202.434.2170;
- The DC Office on Aging, 202.724.5626, for assistance finding a senior service agency in your specific neighborhood that can help you with ongoing supportive services. This office also operates the DC Long Term Care Ombudsman for elderly persons who have problems, including abuse in long term care facilities.
- A family whose head of household, spouse, or sole member is 62 years of age or older, may receive preference when applying for public housing.
