Elder abuse is an issue that affects people that are over the age of 60. It can happen to any type of person and is usually related to a person being abused, experiencing some form of neglect, or being financially exploited.
Elder abuse can occur in various locations and the mistreatment can come from different people in their life.
The type of abuse can come in different forms, including:
- Neglect from family, caregivers, or healthcare workers
- Abandonment from family, or caregivers
- Physical abuse that is inflicted on the person
- Emotional abuse, such as yelling, degrading, or humiliating the person
- Sexual abuse
- Financial abuse/exploitation from healthcare professionals, scam artist, or caregivers
Most of the people that fall victim to elder abuse are normally older, have disabilities and struggle with taking care of themselves.
How do you know if someone is being abused?
Below are some of the signs:
- The person is distant and does not participate in activities
- The person has unsafe living conditions, bad hygiene and unexpected weight loss
- Is not getting their necessary sleep and shows signs of restlessness
- Shows signs bruises, or other wounds on their body
- They don’t have their glasses, medication, or other items
- Has the lack of funds to pay their bills and is behind on their rent, or mortgage
If you feel someone is in an elder abuse scenario, what should you do?
If the person needs immediate assistance, you should always call 911 to get the proper assistance.
If an elder does report their abuse, they may be afraid of retaliation from the abuser. Therefore, you should always talk to them confidentially and search for local services to assist.
Also, you can research further at the National Center on Elder Abuse at https://ncea.acl.gov/, or contact them at 1-855-500-3537 (ELDR) to get professional assistance.
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