There is a generation of people in our valley who spent their lives working hard, raising families, and contributing to this community. They deserve to spend their later years feeling safe. Right now, not enough is being done to make sure that’s actually happening.
A Problem That’s Getting Bigger Every Year
Across the country and right here in Utah, elder abuse and fraud are on the rise. Financial scams targeting older residents. Physical and emotional abuse inside care facilities. Situations where vulnerable people are being taken advantage of by the people closest to them.
A lot of it goes unreported. Older residents don’t always know who to call. They don’t always recognize that what’s happening to them is a crime. And when they do report it, they don’t always find a system that knows how to respond.
That has to change.
What’s Happening Right Here in the Heber Valley
Wasatch County isn’t immune to this. In fact, the growth we’re seeing in the valley is bringing more of it directly to our doorstep.
New assisted living centers and retirement communities are being built across the county right now. More older residents are choosing to make the Heber Valley their home — drawn by the same things that draw all of us here. The beauty of the mountains. The sense of community. The feeling that this is a safe place to live.
We owe it to those residents to make sure that feeling matches reality.
Where We Are Right Now
Honest answer — we don’t yet have a dedicated elder protection unit in place. Sheriff Rigby has been direct about that. The need is real and the plan is being built, but it takes resources, training, and the right structure to do it properly.
What we do have is a probation and follow up program that is already working — two deputies whose job is to track outcomes and make sure people get the help they need. That foundation is exactly what an elder protection program can be built on.
What the Plan Looks Like
The goal is to develop a dedicated unit within the sheriff’s office — deputies with specific training to recognize the signs of elder abuse and fraud, build relationships with care facilities across the county, and create a clear, accessible process for older residents and their families to report concerns and get real help.
Not a hotline that goes to voicemail. An actual response from people who know what they’re looking at and know what to do about it.
That also means working with the assisted living centers and retirement communities coming into the valley — building relationships before problems develop so that when something doesn’t look right, there’s already a connection in place to act on it quickly.
Why This Can’t Wait
The window to get ahead of this is right now. The growth is already happening. The new communities are already being built. Every month we wait to put something real in place is another month where our most vulnerable residents are navigating this without the protection they deserve.
Because the people who built this valley deserve to grow old in it safely. And that’s exactly what we’re going to make sure happens.
Sheriff Jared Rigby is running for re-election as Wasatch County Sheriff. See his full plan at sheriffjaredrigby.org.
