Saugus Senior Center puts on play dealing with abuse and neglect of the elderly

SAUGUS – Close to 100 people packed the Saugus Senior Center Tuesday morning for a play about elder abuse and neglect.The play, called Breaking the Silence: Voices of Hope, featured 13 senior citizen actors and actresses from around the North Shore reading and acting out actual stories of elder abuse.?None of these stories that you heard here are isolated situations,” said John Agurkis, a retired Lynn Police officer and one of the actors in the play. “This happens all the time. As a police officer in Lynn for 25 years, I did see my share of it. My wife is a registered nurse who works for the Greater Lynn Senior Services ? she has seen it.”The main theme of the day was, “When you see something, say something,” as story after story took audience members through various situations.One story dealt with an elderly woman who took in a handyman to live with her and do odd jobs around the house. After some friends grew suspicious of him and claimed he was stealing from her, they went to an elder care professional, who investigated and found out he wasn?t stealing from her. The elderly woman was losing her eyesight and was making mistakes on her bills.The professional then told the elderly woman about special financial management classes for seniors and made sure she had the proper eye care.Another story was about an elderly woman who had been verbally abused by her husband for most of their marriage and eventually decided to move into an assisted living facility to get away from him.Saugus resident Phyllis Perry was in attendance and said the play was “wonderful.”?It was very informing,” said Perry. “I know there must be people out there that need help. I have a very happy family that I?m with, but it?s so good to make people aware of what?s going on around them. It?s so true.”Barbara Therrien of Lynn led the crowd in a series of catch phrases about seniors.?We?re rewired, retired, you know, with new tires,” she said. “We?re ready to keep on rolling. We are the ?geri-actives,? the wise old timers. We?re not only senior citizens, we?re seasoned citizens.”Elizabeth Cochran of the Elder Justice Network said the play is meant to educate seniors about elder abuse and neglect, and has helped spur some seniors to speak out on issues they?re dealing with.?They have a sense of the information and because they?re in this play, they?re going to have people talking to them ?” said Cochran. “We?ve had people come up to us afterwards, often they?ll come up and tell us about someone they know or ask us a question.”The final story of the day was about a woman who was conned out of money by an old neighbor who moved back into town. The neighbor manipulated the woman and her family into thinking they didn?t want to see each other any more, and then got her to put her name on her checking account with the pretenses that she would help her with her bills.Saugus resident Peter Bogdan and his wife Shirley were featured in the play. Bogdan said he saw the play in Beverly two years ago and thought it was “terrific,” and thought it would be a good idea to bring it to Saugus.?We established a date and for the last two months we?ve been rehearsing,” said Bogdan, who is on the Council on Aging, TRIAD and the Board of Appeals. “Every Monday we were here going over the lines and helping one another impart. It?s one thing to read, it?s another thing to read with feelings, and it?s another thing to read with feeling and impart a message.”With close to 100 people in attendance, Joanne Olsen, the Executive Director of the Saugus Senior Center, said she was happy with how the day unfolded after months of preparation.?We had a perfect turnout,” said Olsen. “I?m very pleased. To watch and see and listen to the stories, and how much was put into this, it was amazing.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].