BREWER – Like some children, some senior citizens in Maine endure abuse, neglect and exploitation. But unlike juveniles, elders cannot simply be removed from dangerous living situations without their consent.

At a conference in Brewer on Friday, area care providers and others learned how to identify elder abuse, how to intervene effectively, and how to accept the limitations of their influence.

According to estimates from the state’s Office of Elder Services, about 14,000 Mainers age 60 and over endure physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse or exploitation each year, much of it unreported.

“We see the whole range, from the most serious kind of physical assault to very subtle financial exploitation,” said Rick Mooers, who heads the office’s protective services program. But his office has limited power to intervene, since mentally competent adults may elect to stay in abusive situations, even if it’s clear they’re in physical, financial or psychological danger.

And many do stay, Mooers said. Often, it’s because they don’t want to bring shame on the very family members who are endangering them, or because the prospect of being moved into an institutional setting is even more unacceptable than the situation they’re in, he said.

Mooers was one of several presenters at the half-day conference sponsored by the Maine Gerontological Society and the Greater Bangor Coalition to End Elder Abuse. The event was attended by about 80 social workers, nurses, educators and others concerned with the well-being of Maine’s older residents.

Kay Cresci of the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology in Detroit, Mich., told the attendees that it’s important to consider cultural differences when determining whether abuse is occurring. For example, white Americans are generally more tolerant of yelling and disrespectful behaviors, while Koreans may accept that adult children should freely spend their parents’ money. Some cultures employ traditional medical treatments that may mimic physical abuse, she said.

Cresci said people from other countries living in the United States need to know they have rights and protections, but if they choose to stay in situations that alarm Western sensibilities, that is also their right.

A panel of legal and financial experts discussed scams and other financial exploitation that target older residents. Eric Corbett, security risk manager for Bangor Savings Bank, said bank tellers are trained to watch for sudden changes in older customers’ spending and may report concerns to their supervisors.

“There’s a delicate balance between intruding in people’s personal finances and protecting our customers,” he said.

Corbett added that elders are sometimes so lonely and isolated that they get drawn into conversation with scamming telemarketers and end up giving out personal financial information.

“Most scams require the active participation of the victim,” he noted. “Consumers need to know not to fall for this junk. They should just hang up on those callers.”

Another panel examined obstacles to reporting suspected abuse. Sister Mary Norberta, CEO of St. Joseph Healthcare in Bangor, said some religions encourage a kind of stoicism in the face of suffering. Elders need to know that they should not suffer at the hands of their caregivers, and that “God is not punishing them,” she said.

Renee Ordway, a columnist for the Bangor Daily News, discussed the role of the media in educating the public about elder abuse and resources for ensuring elder safety.

The Office of Elder Services offers support for elders and their caregivers. For information, visit www.maine.gov/dhhs/beas, or phone toll free (800) 262-2232.

To report suspected elder abuse or neglect anonymously, phone toll free (800) 624-8404.