How to identify when elder abuse is occurring
While respecting and taking care of your elders is considered the norm, every day, a significant portion of our senior citizens are neglected and abused emotionally, physically, and financially. It is estimated that anywhere from 4 to 6 percent of our elderly population is affected by such abuse. Most of these cases go unreported and unprosecuted, so it is important for us to spot the signs of mistreatment and neglect. This article will define what elder abuse is, what forms it takes, and teach you to recognize some of its symptoms so that you can take action if and when you notice it.
Elder abuse is defined as mistreatment that results in loss or harm to anyone who is 65 or older. It can occur in a variety of locations: private homes, and also public facilities such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other types of long-term care facilities.
Sadly, most elder abuse is committed by family members. This may explain why so much elder abuse goes unreported - elders may not want to turn in their family members. Meanwhile, a smaller percentage of the abuse can be traced back to neighbors, friends, or health care professionals.
Categories of elder abuse
The abuse falls into three broad categories: emotional, physical, and financial.
The one that usually comes to mind when talking about elder abuse is physical abuse that involves hitting or punching. Indeed, physical abuse is one of the most common types of elder abuse. It comes in a variety of ways: assault, battery, or improper restraint.
Some signs you should look for include the following:
Bruises in places that are not typically prone to bruising, or a suspiciously large number of bruises.
Unusual hair loss or tooth loss. If they are not attributable to health situations, they may be signs of trauma.
Sprained, fractured, broken, or dislocated bones
The same injury occurring over and over.
An injury going untreated or neglected for a long time.
Unexplained injuries. Even if they are explained, make sure the explanation is plausible. Also, look out for family or friends giving conflicting stories about how the injuries occurred.
Changes in the choice of health care facilities on multiple occasions to avoid arousing suspicions.
Another type of mistreatment is emotional abuse. It involves the intentional infliction of emotional pain through threats, humiliation, provocation, etc. The harm may be caused through verbal or non-verbal means or both.
While it may be harder to spot compared to physical abuse, there are still some signs to look out for:
Stress or anger-related signs - unusually high blood pressure, rapid weight loss or gain, rapid hair loss, sleep deprivation.
An anxious and agitated overall appearance.
A non-responsive or withdrawn attitude.
Display of strange behavior - often wrongly mistaken for dementia.
Attempts by abusers to isolate the victim from other caring individuals.
Appearing uneasy or afraid when the abuser is present.
The last type of abuse is financial abuse. It comes in a variety of forms, such as using undue influence to get a senior to sign a will, deed, or any important document. It also includes using or taking a senior’s property without permission. It can range from family members or friends taking minuscule amounts of money to criminals taking thousands of dollars from victims. The latter situation is on the rise, especially due to the increasing popularity and availability of internet access. Seniors who are not yet familiar with the internet may easily fall victim to these crimes.
Here are some signs you can look out for to determine whether or not your elders are being financially abused:
Unexplained transfers or withdrawals from their bank accounts.
A sudden, large amount of missing property.
Unpaid bills and eviction notices.
Newly announced “friends,” especially those made through the internet.
A caregiver who is unusually interested in why and how much money is spent on the senior.