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Who Is Most Likely To Abuse The Elderly

Sadly, trusted family members are more likely than anyone else to commit elder abuse.

Adult children, spouses, and even grandchildren can abuse seniors who are entrusted in their care. Elder abusers are found across all age ranges, in all socioeconomic groups, and across all races and genders.

There is no one single type of most likely offender.

The elderly are vulnerable to a wide range of abuses due to their dependence on others.

As their physical and cognitive abilities continue to decline, it can become more difficult for them to defend themselves or report abuse to anyone else. Some examples of elder abuse can include:

  • Financial exploitation
  • Physical abuse
  • Verbal abuse
  • Emotional abuse
  • Sexual assault
Who Is Most Likely To Abuse The Elderly

Unfortunately, the elderly are vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and scams and elder mistreatment is perpetrated by family members, friends, service providers, peers, and strangers.

How Common Is Elder Abuse?

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) estimates that abuse happens to approximately 1 in 10 Americans age 60 and over.

Elder abuse can take many forms. Some seniors have property and money stolen by people they trust, others experience neglect, and some endure physical violence.

Everyone needs to act as an advocate and a protector for their loved ones.

The ability to recognize common signs of abuse will enable you to identify and stop problems sooner.

What Are the Physical Signs of Elder Abuse?

Elderly individuals often experience skin bruising, so it is easy to dismiss these marks as a common occurrence.

Ask for more details if any senior suddenly seems to have many new injuries or cuts, scrapes, and burns that differ from their usual bumped knee or elbow.

Consider severe injuries like broken bones or sprains as an excuse for a thorough investigation.

You may want to attend doctor visits with the elderly individual in your care to make certain no hidden injuries exist.

Signs of sexual abuse, for example, may go unnoticed until a medical exam takes place. Discuss with a doctor the frequency of new injuries and any concerns about abuse.

How Can I Identify Behavior Changes in a Senior?

Abused seniors may have sudden changes in their personality, seem fearful or withdrawn. The individual may refuse medical care for their injuries or refuse to talk about how an injury happened. The senior may begin to suffer from sleep disorders or depression.

Psychological abuse does not leave bruises, but it can greatly affect the mood and demeanor of the victim.

Question any behavioral changes not explained by dementia even if they occur without physical signs of abuse.

Psychological abuse can include the denial of privileges, isolating the individual, and many other punishments.

Watch for Signs of Neglect

Caregivers do not always abuse victims through their actions. Sometimes the abuse takes the form of inaction and turns into cases of neglect. The forms of neglect can include:

  • Not providing food or medication
  • A failure to perform adequate hygiene
  • Leaving the senior alone in the home or while out in public for too long
  • Improper housekeeping
  • Missed doctor appointments
  • Medication errors or failure to give medications at all

If you are concerned that a senior may be neglected, check the cleanliness of their surroundings and make certain the kitchen has adequate and nutritious food.

Other signs of neglect could include the development of bedsores, failing health, and weight loss.

Who Is Most Likely To Abuse The Elderly

These are also common signs of nursing home abuse. Many facilities remain understaffed and under supervised.

This can breed resentment in underpaid staff members, which in turn can lead to abuse of the facility’s elderly residents.

Choosing the right assisted living facility to ensure your parents or loved ones are safe and don’t suffer abuse is vital.

If you are in California, find the right encinitas assisted living facility to prevent abuse to your loved ones!

Signs of Senior Financial Abuse

As mentioned, neglect could include not paying bills on time. Caregivers, however, can harm elders in many ways financially.

Home care providers and family caregivers have access to jewelry and many other valuables in the home.

Some people may use the account belonging to the senior to pay their bills or withdraw money for themselves. Credit cards or loans in the name of the elder may appear without the knowledge of the senior.

Some people may bully an elderly friend or family member into loaning them money or paying their bills.

The problem of financial abuse of the elderly is much more widespread than people may realize.

The losses amount to nearly $3 billion per year according to the American Bankers’ Association. People that do not feel comfortable reviewing the finances of a senior loved one could offer to hire an accountant or other financial professional to go over their accounts.

Elderly individuals cannot always protect themselves as they once did.

Family members, doctors, friends, and others with regular contact with aging adults need to watch for signs of abuse.

Do not believe silence from a loved one means everything is okay. Fear often prevents people from asking for help.

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