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Tennessee makes list of worst states for elder abuse protections

In this April 26, 2018, photo, James Bira sits next to his mother, Darlene Bira, 79, with one of the several cameras he has installed in his home in Brookfield, Wis. Bira installed and paid for them himself because he wanted to make sure caregivers were not stealing or abusing his mother, who suffers from dementia. (AP Photo/Ivan Moreno) In this April 26, 2018, photo, James Bira sits next to his mother, Darlene Bira, 79, with one of the several cameras he has installed in his home in Brookfield, Wis. Bira installed and paid for them himself because he wanted to make sure caregivers were not stealing or abusing his mother, who suffers from dementia. (AP Photo/Ivan Moreno)

By Staff Report December 6, 2021 1 min read

With as many as 10% of Americans over age 60 suffering from elder abuse, and seniors especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub ranked all U.S. states for their elder-abuse protections, based upon 16 measurements of abuse or fraud complaints, laws to protect against senior abuse and fraud and resources spent on elderly assistance.

1. Utah

2. Montana

3. California

4. South Carolina

5. Tennessee

Source: WalletHub. The best-ranked states, in order, were Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Vermont.