Case Studies with Questions and Answers
Chapter 11: Crime and the Elderly
A problem in many Southern cities is the idea of "granny dropping." Granny dropping is a form of elder neglect and abandonment. Elder neglect has been defined as the "refusal or failure by those responsible to provide food, shelter, health care, or protection for a vulnerable elder." In this scenario, elderly individuals, both male and female, and traditionally over the age of 60, are taken and dropped off at public places such as churches, malls, fire stations, restaurants, schools, parks, sporting events, and any large gatherings where many people will be able to assist them. Common trends tend to be those elderly individuals suffering from Parkinson's disease, beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease, or those who are suffering from dementia or who have been a burden to care for. The following is an example.
Dawn Bell, a retired veterinarian from a small town in West Virginia, retired at age 50 and moved to Charleston, SC, for the warm weather and relaxation. After 20 years of soaking up the rays, Dawn began to experience memory loss, and it became apparent she could not fend for herself. Dawn's only child, Brooklyn, moved to Charleston to stay with her mother. After nine months in Charleston, Brooklyn was unable to find employment and money was tight. Fearing she would lose her home and her sense of security, and knowing she could not afford a nursing home for her mother, she decided the best scenario would be to attempt to find employment in another city. However, taking care of her mother was a full-time job. She neutralized her behavior by saying that dropping her mom off at the local mall would be better because the state would find her, she would not be able to communicate who she was, and the state would place her in the custody of a nursing facility. Brooklyn, however, failed to realize that her mother's memory loss would come and go. Eventually the police were able to identify her next of kin and arrest Brooklyn on charges of neglect and abandonment.