Honolulu, HAWAII — They're the island's oldest and wisest. Unfortunately, with age, the elderly also become the most vulnerable to abuse. While the month of May might have marked Senior Citizens Month, awareness efforts continue. Earlier this week, the Pacific Judicial Council hosted a 3-day workshop focused on elder abuse.

Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. "It's a hidden activity. Generally the elderly, if they are being abused, nobody knows it because of the nature of aging and also because the nature of people not perceiving that that can happen to an elder," stated Retired Judge Karen Howze from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the non-profit Futures Without Violence. She's just one of the speakers in the 2018 Pacific Judicial Council's workshop focused on elder abuse, held earlier this week.

Howze said, "Elder abuse is becoming one of the most pervasive issues related to family violence in the United States and quite frankly, across the world."

That's why the issue is before the Pacific Judicial Council, which includes judges from not just Guam, but also the CNMI, Palau, American Samoa, and FSM. Justice Phillip Carbullido said, "We're hoping to try and have a collaborative, collective approach to these types of issues, and this is the purpose of the Pacific Judicial Council. They're a very important part of our community. We look up in terms of our elders and we want to make sure they are protected in our community ."

So, what are the signs of elder abuse? Howze said, "The signs are if you don't see somebody for a while if appears they may be less focused...

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