Elder abuse is any of the following things that happen between family members, members of the same household, staff at a nursing home, or anyone else.
- When someone tries to hurt or hurts an older person
- When a family member or member of a nursing home's staff torments, threatens, or harasses an elderly person, or tries to do so.
- When someone tries to force or scare an elder into doing something that the elder has the right to refuse, this is called coercion.
- When someone meaningfully limits an elder's movements without his permission,
- Threatening an older person with a violent crime
- How to spot abuse:
- Burn markings from cigarette
- Cuts, bruises, or black eyes that can't be explained
- Rope marks, which showed that the elder had been tied down or cut,
- Hair loss is a sign that the elder's hair was pulled.
- Wounds and sores on the body
- Broken fingernails
- The old man's skin is in very bad shape.
- Breaks in the bones
- Bite marks
- Eye glasses are broken
- The lab tests show that the person took too much drug.
- The old man's behaviour changes all of a sudden.
- The caretaker won't let people see the old person.
- Signs of carelessness:
- Wounds are not cared for.
- Has a lot of signs of being malnourished
- Could show signs of being crazy.
- Not taking care of one's own hygiene
- Telltale signs of emotional abuse:
- May act like they're nervous.
- Always be upset or troubled
- Has a bad way of thinking
- Always stressed out
- Show signs of being afraid, like constantly sucking or biting their fingers.
- Financial Abuse:
- An unknown amount was taken out of the elder's account.
- Strange ATM withdrawals and account switching
- Older people tend to take out money a lot.
- His pension or Social Security check does not come in the mail.
- The old man changes his will and who gets his money for no good reason.
- For some reason, the older person signs contracts that lead to unwanted financial obligations.
- A fake signature was made
- The old man has a lot of bills that haven't been paid, even though he has enough money to pay them.
- Weird charges on my card
- Signs of Sexual Mistreatment
- Genital infection that can't be explained
- Bleeding from the mouth or womb that can't be explained
- Ripped underwear
- The older person may tell someone that she has been sexually abused.
- The private parts are hurt.
- The older person may tell her caretaker that she is showing her pornographic materials.
- The elder said that she was forced to touch someone's genitalia, watch sexual acts, tell dirty stories, and pose naked for a picture.
- How can an older person keep from being abused?
- Stay in touch with your friends and neighbours.
- Work out with other older people in your home as a pair
- Spend time with people and don't stay alone.
- If you don't like how your caregiver or another family member treats you, speak up and protest. Tell somebody
- Ask your friends and family to come see you often.
- Check your mail yourself
- Don't sign anything until someone you trust has looked it over.
- You should always look over your will every so often.
- Make arrangements so that your pension or Social Security check goes straight to your bank account instead of being mailed to you.
- How can you keep other people from being abused?
- Take notice. Be careful and watch for signs that could point to abuse.
- Talk to your loved one as often as you can.
- Go see your loved one often and make sure she is doing well.
- Always be available to your loved one by taking the time to talk to her and letting her know that you are there to help and can be trusted.
- Ask for permission to check your loved one's bank account and credit card statements from time to time for unauthorised withdrawals or purchases.
- If you or someone you know is being abused, how to get help:
911, your local police emergency number, or the emergency room of your local hospital
1225 Eye Street, NVW Suite 725
The National Center on Elder Abuse
20005
(202) 898-2586
Fax: (202) 898-2583
Area Agency for the Elderly
Almost all states have information and a referral line that can help people who have been abused or neglected as seniors find and get help.
National Hotline for Domestic Violence
The hotline connects abused women to more than 2,500 local support services for women who have been abused by their partners. The hotline is open all day, every day of the year, 24 hours a day.
1-800-799-SAFE
TDD 1-800-787-3224
