NYC Launches Ad Campaign To Raise Awareness About Elder Abuse

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The city's Department for the Aging is launching a new ad campaign aimed at ending elder abuse.

It features subway and bus ads showing images of elderly people who have been robbed, beaten, threatened or neglected by a family member.

Aurora Salamone, Director of Elderly Crime Victims Resource Center at NYC Department for the Aging, told 1010 WINS elder abuse is a growing but underreported epidemic.

"We did a prevalence study a few years back and we found that one out of 24 seniors report that they are victims of elder abuse in New York State," she said. "They deserve to have peace and be safe, like the rest of us."

The new ads are already on buses. They launch in the subways on Monday.

The ads encourage anyone who suspects an elderly person is being abused to call 311.

"If they hear something they should say something, they should make the call, even if they are not sure and they suspect that it could be elder abuse," Salamone said.