Elder abuse is a complicated issue facing more and more people over the age of 65. Each state has it's own laws and support system in place to protect seniors, but how is Florida doing?
In a recent study, WalletHub sought to find which states ranked the highest on protecting this vulnerable population. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the population aged 65 and older will almost double from 49.2 million in 2016 to 94.7 million in 2060. It's important that we look at this issue as a state and prepare!
WalletHub is raising awareness of this critical issue by comparing the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 16 key indicators of elder abuse protection in 3 overall categories. Our data set ranges from the share of elder abuse, gross neglect and exploitation complaints to financial elder-abuse laws.
Currently, Florida is ranked overall at number 26 out of 51.
| Overall Rank | State | Total Score | Prevalence Rank | Resources Rank | Protection Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | 62.45 | 22 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 55.07 | 14 | 4 | 19 |
| 3 | Ohio | 52.71 | 31 | 16 | 1 |
| 4 | Virginia | 49.76 | 8 | 11 | 35 |
| 5 | Kentucky | 49.69 | 1 | 28 | 26 |
| 6 | Vermont | 49.36 | 18 | 9 | 21 |
| 7 | Wyoming | 48.91 | 21 | 5 | 49 |
| 8 | Iowa | 48.31 | 13 | 27 | 10 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 47.61 | 12 | 17 | 27 |
| 10 | Louisiana | 47.23 | 2 | 44 | 25 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 46.69 | 5 | 25 | 29 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 46.45 | 28 | 29 | 7 |
| 13 | Washington | 45.97 | 34 | 30 | 2 |
| 14 | Maine | 45.90 | 20 | 18 | 31 |
| 15 | Minnesota | 45.27 | 36 | 20 | 3 |
| 16 | Missouri | 44.96 | 9 | 46 | 17 |
| 17 | Maryland | 44.90 | 38 | 10 | 4 |
| 18 | Illinois | 44.50 | 29 | 21 | 11 |
| 19 | Oregon | 44.32 | 10 | 22 | 43 |
| 20 | Michigan | 44.29 | 3 | 49 | 39 |
| 21 | Texas | 44.25 | 19 | 42 | 15 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | 44.07 | 33 | 6 | 13 |
| 23 | Alabama | 43.81 | 15 | 32 | 32 |
| 24 | Kansas | 43.69 | 23 | 48 | 9 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 43.45 | 27 | 24 | 18 |
| 26 | Florida | 42.92 | 6 | 51 | 30 |
| 27 | Arizona | 42.80 | 25 | 40 | 16 |
| 28 | Hawaii | 42.68 | 16 | 45 | 22 |
| 29 | New York | 42.20 | 17 | 43 | 23 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | 41.59 | 7 | 41 | 47 |
| 31 | Alaska | 41.26 | 39 | 7 | 20 |
| 32 | Indiana | 41.01 | 4 | 50 | 50 |
| 33 | Mississippi | 40.84 | 11 | 26 | 51 |
| 34 | Idaho | 40.46 | 26 | 23 | 45 |
| 35 | North Dakota | 40.30 | 32 | 14 | 44 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | 39.74 | 41 | 13 | 8 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 39.49 | 24 | 35 | 46 |
| 38 | Georgia | 37.96 | 30 | 34 | 38 |
| 39 | Colorado | 37.76 | 40 | 15 | 14 |
| 40 | Arkansas | 37.26 | 35 | 37 | 28 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | 36.61 | 45 | 2 | 40 |
| 42 | Nebraska | 33.53 | 37 | 47 | 41 |
| 43 | Nevada | 31.70 | 50 | 3 | 33 |
| 44 | South Dakota | 30.61 | 48 | 8 | 24 |
| 45 | Tennessee | 27.88 | 44 | 36 | 12 |
| 46 | Delaware | 27.45 | 42 | 31 | 48 |
| 47 | New Jersey | 27.32 | 43 | 33 | 34 |
| 48 | South Carolina | 26.90 | 47 | 19 | 36 |
| 49 | Montana | 26.78 | 49 | 12 | 42 |
| 50 | Utah | 23.64 | 46 | 38 | 37 |
| 51 | California | 23.19 | 51 | 39 | 6 |
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that category.
Reference: Wallet Hub (December 13, 2023): Adam McCann, States with the Best Elder Abuse Protection
