Elderly
Abuse Lawyer
Common
Warning Signs of Elder Abuse
With
medicine advancing and life expectancy increasing, growing
numbers of people are moving into long-term care centers
and nursing homes. Although these facilities can provide
excellent health and recreation services, they may also
expose residents to mistreatment. Hundreds of thousands
of elderly people suffer from abuse every year.
The exact number of instances of elder abuse is unknown
since most cases go unreported. One study found that
only 1 in 14 cases come to the attention of authorities.
The main reason for the scant reporting is that many
people do not know what indicators of abuse to look
for.
Neglect
Neglect is the most common form of elder abuse. Warning
signs my include:
- Generally
unkempt appearance
- Stained
or torn clothes
- Bedsores
or abrasions
- Dramatic
weight loss
- Unsanitary
living conditions
- Sparse
nursing staff
Emotional
Abuse
Although emotional abuse can be extremely serious, it
is often the most difficult kind of abuse to detect.
The fact that elderly people may not see this type of
mistreatment as abuse makes it even more difficult to
catch.
The
following are a few things to look for:
- Unresponsiveness
- Aloofness
- Atypical
Anger
- Odd
physical behavior, particularly sucking or rocking
- Visible
agitation
Physical
Abuse
Physical abuse is perhaps the most serious and visible,
but it is not always apparent at a glance.
Some
things to look for are:
- Obvious
bruises, scars or burns
- Unseasonably
long clothing
- Guarded
posture
- Refusal
of physical contact i.e. hugging
When
trying to detect elder abuse, your intuition is your
best tool. Since you are probably dealing with someone
you have known for a long time, you are the best judge
of whether something isn't right. Although reports of
abuse by elders themselves are always the most reliable,
they may be unwilling or unable to speak up for themselves.
In these cases, it is critical to keep the common warning
signs in mind and report all cases of elder abuse to
the proper authorities.
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