Editor,
San Mateo County touts its dedication to elder care, behavioral health, public safety and housing. Yet families often face a stark gap between risk identification and action.
Editor,
San Mateo County touts its dedication to elder care, behavioral health, public safety and housing. Yet families often face a stark gap between risk identification and action.
A common scenario: An elderly resident disrupts a bank; staff alert services due to cognitive issues. A social worker and police respond, labeling them “at-risk” with confusion, hyper-vigilance and firearm access. The case closes abruptly, shifting burden to family.
Systemic shortfalls: Families must then seek restraining or gun removal orders — reactive tools needing heavy documentation from disengaged county departments. Risks linger publicly while costs privatize. Cognitively declining elders control income properties that then sit vacant, worsening the housing crisis.
Call for clarity: This isn’t about intent, but outcomes. What concretely happens after an “at-risk” elder is flagged? Our elders and families deserve sustained action, not fleeting concern.
Kenneth Hayes Jr.
San Bruno
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