Understanding Elder Abuse

One of the most frightening things to worry about when your loved one is receiving elder care is whether he or she is receiving the proper care and not part of a neglectful situation. You and your loved one are placing all of your trust into virtual strangers, so it's scary and sad to think about elder care abuse; but unfortunately, it has and can happen, sometimes even in the best facilities. However, elder abuse is preventable if family and friends are involved enough not only to recognize the warning signs, but take a proactive approach to their loved one's care.

What Is Elder Abuse?

Elder abuse is any neglectful, intentional or knowing act by a caregiver or other individual that causes harm to a vulnerable older adult. Generally, there are several types of elder abuse:

• Physical: Pain or injury by slapping, restraining or bruising by physical or chemical means (i.e. medication or drugs)
• Neglect: Failure to provide care, food, shelter, protection or health care
• Emotional: Mental pain or distress with nonverbal or verbal acts such as threats, humiliation or intimidation
• Sexual: Any type of non-consensual sexual contact
• Abandonment: Desertion of an elderly person by his or her caregiver or responsible party
• Exploitation: Illegally misusing or taking a senior citizen's property, assets or funds for another's gain

Warning Signs

When a senior citizen is a victim of elder abuse, he or she is typically silent about it because of a physical inability to speak, fear of retaliation or worse. There are, however, some true tell-tales signs of elder abuse. It is important to remember that one sign does not indicate abuse; there typically need to be a few to show a problem:

• Unexplained broken bones and various pressure points, bruises, burns and abrasions
• Sudden withdrawal from normal, daily activities
• Unusual change in mood or alertness
• Bedsores, poor hygiene, rapid weight loss or unattended medical needs
• Strained relationship with caregiver
• Hearing a caregiver threaten or belittle your loved one
• Refusal by caregiver to visit your loved one alone
• Unsanitary or unsafe living conditions
• Untreated medical issues
• Consistent dirty or unsuitable clothing
• Sudden change in wills, titles, policies or powers of attorney
• Valuable items or cash missing from your loved one's possession

Who Is at Risk?

Elder abuse happens across all socio-economic and racial backgrounds There are several risk factors to consider when it comes to knowing if a senior is vulnerable to elder abuse. For starters, the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) states that spouses make up a large portion of elder abusers and that many of these situations originally started out as domestic abuse earlier in the marriage. This includes cases where one spouse typically tries to control the other through emotional abuse, neglect, physical violence, isolation and threats. 

Those at risk for elder abuse also include adult children who depend on their victims for financial or other types of support. The NCEA also states that the risk of abuse is greater when these adult children live with the senior citizen.

Caregiver stress is another theory related to elder abuse. Even though the caretaker is well-meaning, he or she may be so overwhelmed with tending to several seniors at the same time that stress overtakes the situation. The caretaker may then act out by neglecting, striking or harming the older adult. 

Finally, social isolation and mental impairment, such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia, are two other risk factors associated with elder abuse. Those seniors purposely kept from large communities or groups of people tend to be victims more than those who socialize more or who live in large facilities. Those with memory impairments are at risk because their abusers know they are more frail and less likely to report any issue.

Reporting Elder Abuse

There are several ways to report elder abuse. If your loved one is living in a long-term care facility, the victim (or his or her family) can contact the local Long-Term Care Ombudsman or a local law enforcement agency. If the suspected abuse occurs elsewhere, the concerned party can contact the local county Adult Protective Services. 

Under California law, for instance, the following individuals are legally required to report any cases of suspected elder abuse:

• Medical professionals
• Clergy
• All employees of heath care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, residential care facilities and adult day care centers
• Anyone who assumes responsibility for an elderly person

The person reporting the alleged abuse is protected from civil and criminal liabilities. However, if you are mandated by law to report abuse and you don't, you may be found guilty of a crime.