As shocking as it may seem, tens of thousands of elderly Americans are abused each and every year. And, truly, this is an underreported crime as the elderly victims may have no one watching out for them, they may be too embarrassed to report the abuse, or family members simply overlook the neglect or abuse as they feel that they do not want to get involved and then be responsible for the care of that elderly person themselves. As awful as that sounds, it is realistic to think that as many as 500,000 elderly Americans fall prey to some sort of elder abuse EACH YEAR. With an aging baby boomer population, and with the current economic crisis we are facing, these statistics may worsen as a growing population of elderly find themselves with dire financial situations.
These are Americans who have worked hard their whole lives, contributed to society, raised families and and are now living alone in their homes, living with a loved one who may also be elderly and may have considerable health care needs of their own, living in retirement homes and other health care facilities and even their own families’ homes. These are people who are often frail, and who have physical limitations (like diminished hearing or vision) and are unable to defend themselves. The elderly may also have mental or psychological ailments that make it difficult for them to understand what may be happening to them as well if someone is taking advantage of them.
What are the most common types of elder abuse?
Emotional Abuse:
Elderly can be victimized by verbal and nonverbal abuse to include yelling, humiliation, ridicule, being ignored and socially isolated and even threats to their wellbeing and life. This type of elder abuse is insidious as it can damage the elderly personal emotionally and psychologically and create a situation where they are scared to speak out, withdraw even further from friends and family and they suffer embarrassment. With that psychological scarring, they are left even more vulnerable to other forms of abuse.
Neglect:
The elderly victim may also simply be neglected by a caretaker. They may be overwhelmed by their responsibilities, or even "scamming" the family for payments to care for the patient and then doing nothing for that eldery person.
Physical Abuse:
Again, as shocking at it may seem, the elderly can fall prey to physical abuse, to include sexual abuse. Supposed caretakers may hit or push the elderly person, may put them in unnecessary restraints, confine them by locking them in a room, even use medications to overly and unnecessarily sedate the elderly patient.
Financial Abuse:
Another category of elder abuse is the elderly patient being taken advantage of in a financial manner. These evil caretakers will actually pillage the elderly patients’ bank accounts, credit cards, stealing their money or valuable belongings and even steal their identity. There are extreme cases where caretakers have persuaded their elderly charges into including them in wills and signing over conservatorship of their estate and investments.
What should you look for if you are concerned about elder abuse?
There are countless signs of abuse, unfortunately, too many to list here. However, there are some key signs to look out for, to listen for and to observe in both the patient and the caregivers:
First of all, has their personality fundamentally changed? Often, symptoms of other ailments of the elderly can also result in changes in personality, like dementia. So you have to be able to look at behaviors that change and be alert that while it can be that loved one "getting older" it can also mean that something is wrong and they need your help and advocacy. Does your elderly loved one seem to be more agitated, angry, acting out with the caretaker, or even showing signs of withdrawal like rocking or not making eye contact?
Does the caretaker ever refuse you access to your elderly friend or family member? Are they constantly busy, away, napping, or otherwise unable to see you? Does the facility seem to have overly restrictive visiting hours, or ever refuse you access during visiting hours? Trying to limit your exposure to your elderly loved one can be a way of hiding injuries that are visible and/or further alienating that elderly patient from their loved ones to socially isolate them.
Does your loved one have physical injuries that tend to be brushed over, or explained away too easily? Even small things like missing hearing aids or broken glasses can be a sign that someone is trying to damage or conceal key tools that an elderly person needs to be as independent as possible. Of course, this can also become far more severe such as broken bones, bruising, bed sores that are not being taken care of and more.
Has your loved one lost a great deal of weight or even gained an excessive amount of weight? Either type of fluctuation in their weight may mean that they are on an unhealthy routine or suffering from emotional or physical abuse..
Are their living conditions deteriorating? Do you see dirty bed sheets, are they always in the same clothes, are their clothes dirty? Is their hair dirty, are they bathed and are they taking care of themselves appropriately? Are they dressed appropriately for the weather?
Ask you loved one about their finances and make sure that you work with them on a living will, that you check their bank accounts and that you touch base with their attorney to ensure that no unusual changes have been made to key legal documents. While you want to respect their privacy, and a loved one may see this as an invasion of their privacy, even that defensiveness can be a sign that they are being taken advantage of. Have you noticed beloved belongings disappearing, your elderly loved one not wearing the usual jewelry they may cherish, or a sudden financial emergency that requires you to assist a loved one who should have the means to take care of from their finances? Also, are you noticing sudden expensive items showing up in their room or house that would not make sense to their usual purchasing routines?
What can you do to help?
First and foremost, console your elderly loved one and let them know that you are there for them. Letting them know that they are not alone is a huge comfort. Let them know that you will help them and not allow any retaliation to occur. Often, an abuser of an elderly person threatens them and they need to know that those threats will not come to fruition. Let them know that you are not there to infringe upon their rights or their care, but you have concerns that you want to report to ensure that everything is okay. They may be embarrassed that they are unable to advocate for themselves, so reassuring them that you are not there to take over their care or remove their ability to make decisions is important. Furthermore, if a loved one is the abuser, they may have deep feelings of regret, embarrassment and humiliation that their own family member could do this to them. Know that they have been abused, but they still may be entirely cognizant of the abuse and ashamed of it as well.
If you suspect abuse you can immediately call the athorities. What is happening to your loved one is criminal, and charges can and should be brought upon any person or agency who is neglecting, abusing and taking advantage of the elderly.
Do you know of other friends or family who can help? You may be cities, if not states away and feeling that something is not right but unable to be there physically. If there is someone in their immediate area, they may be able to pull them out of their current situation for a break to evaluate if abuse is indeed occurring.
Have you reported this suspicion, or your evidence, to the caretaker’s employer, the director of the nursing home or whoever else is in charge of their care? They may have a caretaker that is abusing their patients without knowing it themselves. They need to know about the abuse so that employee can be dealt with appropriately, and this become part of their employment record.
You can involve government agencies to assist you in getting your loved one to a safe home, a safe place and with a loving, caring caretaker. You can report this abuse or neglect to a social worker, doctor, nurse, or even a clergy member who are "mandatory reporters" meaning they have a legal obligation to report the abuse that is reported to them.
You should also contact legal counsel immediately. There are lawyers and attorneys that specialize in elder abuse and can ensure that the legal rights of the elderly person are upheld, that their finances are restored if possible, criminal charges are brought against the abusers, and that the safety net that exists for our elderly is fully in place for their future care and recovery. Contact an elder abuse lawyer today for more information and ensure that your elderly friend or loved one is protected against evil, unscrupulous abusers, and that those abusers are unable to prey on any other elderly persons in the future.
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