KERN COUNTY, Calif. — In collaboration with Commission on Aging, district attorney's office and Behavioral Health and Recovery Service the Kern County Board of Supervisors is proclaiming the month of June as Elder Abuse Awareness Month.

There are an estimated 176,000 cases of reported elder and dependent adult abuse per year in California. And last year over 4,000 reports came from Kern County alone.

Elder and dependent-adult abuse takes many forms. To help educate the community the county will be holding their 22nd Annual Elder Abuse Prevention Conference on Thursday coinciding with World Elder Abuse Day. It will be held at Hodel's Country Dining on Knudsen Drive. Unfortunately, the event has already reached maximum capacity.