Celebrity speaks out against elder abuse

“You get confused, especially when you’re alone,” said Roberts,who played matriarch Marie Barone on “Everybody Loves Raymond” for nineseasons. “Don’t sign any papers. Ask someone. Ask SEAPA,” she said. The acronym refers to the Stanislaus Elder Abuse Prevention Alliance, a group of countyagencies, law enforcement and community organizations committedto tackling elder and dependent abuse. Roberts visited the SamaritanVillage retirement community on Wednesday to celebrate the alliance’s10th anniversary. Speaking in a noticeably lower voice than her most memorablecharacter — Roberts said Marie’s voice is an octave higher than her own— the five-time Emmy winner, 76, said, “We need to be protected. Weneed helpers. A lot of people don’t have that. They need help. That’swhat SEAPA does.” For example, an ombudsman from Catholic Charities, one of thealliance’s members, may visit an elderly person to be sure heunderstands he’s giving up his power of attorney. Stepping up, literally,to the podium by way of a riser, TV’s favorite meddling mother-in-law,Doris Roberts, warned her fellow seniors not to sign anything withoutasking for help.   

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