Last Sunday, June 15th, was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and the month of June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. Each year, hundreds of thousands of adults over the age of 60 are abused, neglected, or financially exploited. Approximately one in 10 Americans age 60+ has experienced one form of elder abuse.
Abuse can happen anywhere, including in the older person’s home, a family member’s home, an assisted living facility, or a nursing home. The mistreatment of older adults can be by family members, strangers, health care providers, caregivers, or friends. Elder abuse includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.
Types of Abuse
I’m sharing information from the NIH to help you understand elder abuse.
- Physical abuse happens when someone causes bodily harm; for example, by hitting, pushing, or slapping. Physical abuse may also include restraining an older adult against their will, such as by locking them in a room or tying them to furniture.
- Emotional abuse, sometimes called psychological abuse, can include a caregiver saying hurtful words, yelling, threatening, or repeatedly ignoring the older adult. Keeping that person from seeing close friends and relatives is another form of emotional abuse.
- Neglect occurs when the caregiver does not try to respond to the older adult’s needs. Neglect may include ignoring physical, emotional, and social needs, or withholding food, medications, or access to health care.
- Abandonment is leaving an older adult who needs help alone without planning for their care.
- Sexual abuse involves forcing an older adult to watch or be part of sexual acts.
- Financial abuse happens when money or belongings are misused or stolen from an older adult. It can include forging checks, taking someone else’s retirement or Social Security benefits, withholding access to money or financial information, or using a person’s credit cards and bank accounts without their permission. It also includes changing names on a will, bank account, life insurance policy, or title to a house without permission.
Older adults and caregivers should keep an eye out for financial abuse. Even someone a person has never met can steal their financial information using the telephone, internet, or email.
In addition to the theft of money or belongings, financial abuse also includes:
- Financial neglect: ignoring or avoiding an older adult’s financial responsibilities, such as paying rent or mortgage, medical expenses or insurance, utility bills, or property taxes.
- Financial exploitation: the misuse, mismanagement, or exploitation of property, belongings, or assets. This form of financial abuse includes using an older adult’s assets without consent, under false pretenses, or through intimidation or manipulation.
- Health care fraud: a form of financial abuse committed by health care providers, hospital staff, or other health care workers. It includes intentionally overcharging, billing twice for the same service, charging for care that wasn’t provided, or falsifying Medicaid or Medicare claims.
What Are the Signs of Elder Abuse?
You may see signs of abuse or neglect when you visit an older adult at home or in a residential facility. An older person might be a victim of abuse if they:
- Become withdrawn or act agitated or violent
- Display signs of trauma, such as rocking back and forth
- Have unexplained pressure marks, bruises, burns, cuts, or scars
- Develop preventable conditions such as bedsores (open sores that can develop when a person stays in one position for a long time, such as being confined to a bed)
- Have hazardous, unsafe, or unclean living conditions
- Look messy, with unwashed hair, dirty clothes, or poor dental hygiene
- Lack of personal health care items such as glasses, a walker, dentures, or a hearing aid
- Have sudden and unexpected financial losses or unpaid bills despite having adequate financial resources
Watch for a pattern that might suggest a problem, and seek help if you are concerned. Keep in touch and watch for mood changes, and contact a doctor, a home health agency, a geriatric care manager, or local friends/family to drop by. If you live away from your loved one, reach out to trusted sources on the ground to “check in”.
Report Abuse
The National Center on Elder Abuse has resources to respond to and report elder abuse. The USC Center for Elder Justice lists resources for those having a reasonable suspicion that abuse is occurring.
Here are a few resources to keep on hand.
Adult Protective Services
If the danger is not imminent, report abuse in the community to the local Adult Protective Services (APS) agency. In many states, APS is the reporting agency for suspected abuse in long-term care facilities. Find the APS reporting number for your area.
State Licensing Agency
Suspected abuse in long-term care facilities should be reported to your state licensing agency. In some states, reports of abuse in facilities can be made to APS. Long-term care facilities include nursing homes, assisted living centers, and board and care facilities. Find the Long-Term Care Ombudsman contact number for your area.
Eldercare Locator
Eldercare Locator provides access to find local reporting resources. Call 1-800-677-1116. Language interpretation is available.
Additional Resources
National Center on Elder Abuse
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
Final Thoughts
I would be remiss if I didn’t raise the issue of what happens if you live alone? To prevent elder abuse when living alone, focus on building a strong support network, staying socially engaged, and being proactive about your safety and finances.
This includes maintaining connections with friends and family, participating in community activities, and utilizing resources like advance planning tools and background checks for caregivers. A strong support network is especially valuable when it’s time to plan and keep an eye out for you. Talk to your friends and family often, and you may want to establish a “check-in system”.
If you’re considering making plans, count me in as someone to guide you. Reach out via Email or Book Time with Lynn to talk about ways you can prepare. For additional information about my work, check out @ The Living Planner or @ The Living Planner.
If you’re up for planning your life’s administrative side, consider my book as a resource. The Living Planner: What to Prepare Now While You Are Living © Check it out HERE.
Quote for the week: “We are not here on earth to see through each other, we are here to see each other through” – Anonymous ❣️
Happy Summer Solstice 🌞 Lynn
#PlanfortheUnplanned #Can’tPredict