Stopping Elder Abuse
Protect the Health of Senior Citizens Victimized by Neglect or Abuse
Jun 17, 2009
New research, conducted by Environics for Human Resources and Social Development Canada and published on the federal government's Senior's Canada website, revealed that 22% of participants believed a senior they knew personally was victimized by some form of elder abuse. It also states that four out of ten Canadian seniors may be suffering elder abuse.
Recognizing Elder Abuse
The abuse of senior citizens may be financial, physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, or verbal in nature. Elder abuse can happen in private homes, nursing homes, retirement communities, or even in the hospital. The culprit may be a supposed friend, family member, caregiver, or even a complete stranger.
Learning about the different types of abuse enables onlookers to recognize a senior citizen who is being mistreated, abused or neglected.
Financial Abuse by Family, Friends or Strangers
The elderly are often targeted by unscrupulous individuals who see the senior as an easy target. The victim may feel intimidated by threats of violence or his own ailing health. He might feel that his financial abuser really needs his help and money. He could even be suffering Alzheimer's and not realize he is being taken advantage of.
Financial abuse occurs when someone is misusing or stealing the senior's money or other property; forging his signature on legal or financial documents; abusing his power of attorney designation; using the senior to pay his living expenses; or using pressure or intimidation to get the victim to sign legal documents such as a will.
Financial abuse can be hard to detect, but the following signs should set off alarm bells in the onlooker's mind:
- Sudden or unexplained changes to the will or power of attorney
- A change in spending habits, ie.: more frequent bank account or ATM withdrawals
- Unusual interest in the senior's financial accounts or activities
- Difficulty on behalf of the senior to pay bills or meet financial obligations
Nursing Home Neglect
Neglect is not always a deliberate act and is therefore more difficult to pinpoint. It can also happen as a result of a burnt out caregiver, overwhelmed family member, or understaffed nursing facility. Whether the neglect is intentional or circumstantial, it needs to be stopped. Signs of nursing home neglect include:
- Untreated medical issues such as bedsores
- Malnutrition and dehydration
- Unsanitary personal care and hygiene
Emotional, Psychological or Verbal Abuse of the Elderly
These types of abuse are degrading, demoralizing and erode the senior's self-worth over time. Yelling, name calling, intimidating, threatening to hurt or abandon, disregarding privacy and decency, humiliating and insulting seniors are all forms of abuse. Emotional, psychological or verbal abuse may become evident when the senior:
- Is unusually agitated, upset, or depressed
- Withdraws from those they are close to
- Refuses to speak about certain people or situations
- Feels hopeless or inadequate
- Becomes anxious in certain company
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse includes the sexual abuse of senior citizens. Hitting, shaking, shoving, biting, inappropriate touching, burning, unnecessarily restraining, or slapping seniors are all forms of elder abuse. Seniors who are being physically or sexually abused may:
- Be unable to provide rational explanations for injuries
- Try to cover injuries to their arms, legs, back or torso
- Become agitated, anxious or uncomfortable around their abuser
- Display symptoms of paranoia or irrational fear
Protecting the Health of Senior Citizens by Reporting Elder Abuse
In an ideal world, each and every person would have someone to watch out for them; to protect them and keep them safe. In reality, it is every person's duty to safeguard seniors, whose age, health, and isolation make them more vulnerable.
Canadian residents who suspect that a senior citizen they know may be a victim of a form of elder abuse can visit the Government of Canada's Seniors.gc.ca website to find the reporting agency in their province or territory.
Citizens of the United States can visit the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) to locate the elder abuse reporting agency for their state.
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