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 nine seasons. "Don't sign any papers. Ask someone. Ask SEAPA," she said. The acronym refers to the Stanislaus Elder Abuse Prevention Alliance, a group of county agencies, law enforcement and community organizations committed to tackling elder and dependent abuse. Roberts visited the Samaritan Village retirement community on Wednesday to celebrate the alliance's 10th anniversary. Speaking in a noticeably lower voice than her most memorable character — Roberts said Marie's voice is an octave higher than her own — the five-time Emmy winner, 76, said, "We need to be protected. We need helpers. A lot of people don't have that. They need help. That's what SEAPA does." For example, an ombudsman from Catholic Charities, one of the alliance's members, may visit an elderly person to be sure he understands 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 without asking for help.   

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