| Not only are children the
victims of neglect and abuse, the elderly are victims
too. There are various types of neglect and abuse that
elderly persons endure.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse occurs when an elder person is touched
in an inappropriate way. This type of abuse consists
of intentional infliction of physical harm of an elder
person. Examples of physical abuse include hitting,
punching, kicking and pushing. Physical abuse often
leaves marks on the person's body and is usually obvious
to the eye. Physical abuse may occur at the elder person's
home or in a nursing home. Some indicators of physical
abuse are:
- Signs of physical trauma.
- Repeated inconsistent or unexplained injuries.
- Numerous visits to the emergency room.
Material and Financial Abuse
Material and financial abuse occurs when an elder person
is the victim of misuse, misappropriation, or exploitation
of assets. Indicators of material and financial abuse
include:
- Unusual banking activity, such as large withdrawals
or switching money from account to account.
- New documents signed by the elder person that the
elder person couldn't understand or explain.
- Personal items of the elder person go missing.
- Improper withholding of cash or assets from the
elder person.
Emotional and Psychological Abuse
Emotional or psychological abuse occurs when a caregiver
or family member is demeaning towards an elder person.
Sometimes individuals treat the elder person like a
child or refer to them by abusive names. One may be
able to discern if the elder person is a victim of this
type of abuse if they are depressed or lack self-confidence.
Other facts indicating that the elder person may be
a victim of emotional or psychological abuse include:
- Nervous behavior.
- Anger or agitation.
- Emotionally upset or disturbed behavior.
- Unable to focus on issues or details.
- Negative attitude.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse occurs when any sexual activity occurs
for which an elder person did not consent to or was
incapable of consenting to. The sexual activity may
range from exhibitionism to fondling to intercourse.
Possible Causes of Elder Abuse
Abuse of elderly people is quite prevalent. People are
living longer and requiring more care in their old age.
There are certain circumstances that may lead to elder
abuse, although none of the circumstances justify elder
abuse. Some circumstances include:
- Caregiver stress.
- Environmental issues.
- Incapacitation of an elderly person.
- The elderly person's dependence on the caregiver
for all of their basic personal and financial needs.
Remedies for Elder Abuse
There are numerous agencies, both federal and state,
that one could report any elder abuse to. |
