One out of every ten people aged 60 or older has experienced elder abuse to some extent. However, only about 7 percent of elder abuse cases are reported.
How come the number of reported cases is so low? Many people are unaware of the signs and symptoms of elder abuse.
Elder abuse is a growing problem among the elderly population. As the life expectancy rate continues to grow, more and more elderly adults are becoming dependent on others to care for them. This makes them more likely to suffer from elder abuse.
Keep reading for the comprehensive guide on everything you need to know about elder abuse, commons warning signs, and solutions on how to stop it.
The Major Types of Elder Abuse
There are several different types of elder abuse. It is important to remember that elderly adults can be experiencing more than just one type of abuse.
Physical and sexual abuse are the two major types of elder abuse. This can be more frequent in nursing homes.
Emotional abuse can mean emotional manipulation, verbal harassment, or intimidation. Someone suffering from emotional abuse can also be threatened by their caretakers.
Financial exploitation is a very common type of elder abuse. It can take the form of stealing money, cashing checks, forging signatures, and overall purposeful mismanagement of an elderly adult’s finances.
it is difficult to know the exact toll of financial elder abuse, as so many cases are not reported. However, it is estimated that elderly adults are scammed out of anywhere from $3 billion to $37 billion every year.
Other serious types of elder abuse include neglect, deprivation, and confinement. These types of elder abuse mean either accidentally or purposefully failing to provide necessary medications, proper care, sufficient food, or general assistance.
Confinement is the purposeful isolation of an elderly adult to their home or room without their consent or for a valid medical reason. Deprivation of social interactions can lead to a higher rate of death among the elderly.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Elder Abuse?
You might suspect that a parent, family member, or loved one might be the victim of previous or ongoing elder abuse. If this is the case, it is important that you be on the lookout for these common signs and symptoms of elder abuse.
Some physical signs of elder abuse include bruises, broken bones, sprains, cuts, untreated injuries, black eyes, and more. Other signs of physical elder abuse include broken personal belongings, such as broken eyeglasses or wheelchairs.
It is critical to be aware of other more subtle signs of physical elder abuse. This can mean making sure they are taking the appropriate doses of their medication. Check for signs to see if they have been restrained to their seat or bed by their arms or legs.
Some mental signs of elder abuse include sudden changes of behavior, depression, or unwillingness to be alone with the caretaker.
Signs of financial elder abuse include a sudden change in their will, purchases unable to be used by the individual, sudden sales of owned property, or a lack of understanding of their financial decisions.
It is important to have frequent communications with your parent or loved one if they live in a nursing home. Frequent communication can help you spot these common signs and symptoms of elder abuse right away should it happen.
Who Is the Perpetrator of Elder Abuse?
Elder abuse is a terrible thing. It is made all the more terrible as it is often a close family member or a nursing home caregiver who is the perpetrator of the elder abuse.
In over half of the reported elder abuse cases, the abuser is either an adult child or spouse. Other abusers include nursing home workers, hospital staff, and strangers.
Victims of elder abuse are more likely to be female and the perpetrator is more likely to be male. Those with Alzheimer’s or dementia are more likely to be victims of elder abuse.
However, anyone can be the victim or perpetrator of elder abuse. Knowing the signs and symptoms of elder abuse can help you spot both victims and perpetrators more quickly.
What to Do When Elder Abuse Occurs?
If you witness, suspect, or have evidence that elder abuse is occurring to someone you know, you have several options on how to proceed.
If an elderly adult’s life and well-being are in immediate danger, contact the local authorities immediately. If their life is not immediately at risk, you can contact a nursing home abuse lawyer for legal help.
It can incredibly stressful to discover that a loved one is experiencing elderly abuse. By entrusting an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer to handle the delicacies for you, you can worry about helping your loved one recover.
Perpetrators of elder abuse should be held accountable. Hiring the right legal team can help you and your loved one receive justice.
Learn More With Us Today
Elder abuse will only continue to be a problem facing the elderly population for many reasons. Financial transactions are become increasingly digitized. In-person visits to nursing homes are limited due to COVID-19.
It is important to know the signs and symptoms of elder abuse so you can work to put a stop to it right away. Protecting the elderly from abuse is a responsibility we all share.
Stay updated on all the latest news and insights about trending topics, such as elder abuse. Sign up for our newsletter to get news delivered straight to your inbox.
