Elder Affairs

Local Resources

The Mendon Senior Center and Council on Aging serves Mendon residents sixty years of age or older, people with disabilities and caregivers. The Council on Aging provides a wide range of services and programs. All of the programs, activities, classes, and trips are detailed in a newsletter that is sent throughout the year to all Mendon senior residents, and is also available on the town website. The Mendon Council on Aging meets the second Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. at the Senior Center. All Mendon residents are welcome to attend this meeting. The COA appreciates new ideas and suggestions.

How to report Elder abuse or neglect

Elder Abuse reports can be filed 24 hours a day either online (see instructions below) or by phone at (800) 922-2275. Elder abuse includes: physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, caretaker neglect, financial exploitation and self-neglect. Elder Protective Services can only investigate cases of abuse where the person is age 60 and over and lives in the community. To report abuse of a person with a disability under the age of 60, call the Disabled Persons Protection Commission at (800) 426-9009. To report abuse of a person by nursing home or hospital, call the Department of Public Health at (800) 462-5540. Call 911 or local police if you have an emergency or life-threatening situation.

Types of Abuse

      • Self-neglect: Involves seniors or adults with disabilities who fail to meet their own essential physical, psychological or social needs, which threatens their health, safety and well-being. This includes failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter and health care for one’s own needs.
      • Caregiver neglect: Includes failures by individuals to support the physical, emotional and social needs of adults dependent on others for their primary care. Neglect can take the form of withholding food, medications or access to health care professionals.
      • Financial exploitation: Includes the misuse, mishandling or exploitation of property, possessions or assets of adults. Also includes using another’s assets without consent, under false pretense, or through coercion and/or manipulation.
      • Emotional abuse: Involves creating emotional pain, distress or anguish through the use of threats, intimidation or humiliation. This includes insults, yelling or threats of harm and/or isolation, or non-verbal actions such as throwing objects or glaring to project fear and/or intimidation.
      • Physical abuse: May include slapping, hitting, beating, bruising or causing someone physical pain, injury or suffering. This also could include confining an adult against his/her will, such as locking someone in a room or tying him/her to furniture.
      • Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse includes: physical force, threats or coercion to facilitate non-consensual touching, fondling, intercourse or other sexual activities. This is particularly true with vulnerable adults who are unable to give consent or comprehend the nature of these action.

Information provided by:

Community Resources

Stay Connected

Recent news

New Announcement

Please select a valid form

File Upload Not Working?