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After a certain age, individuals become more physically and mentally frail due to the growing age. They may not be able to take care of themselves or fight back when abused. Elder abuse may be of different types. It does not only include physical, mental, or sexual harm inflicted on an elder adult but also includes the neglect of their rights and financial exploitation by the people responsible for their care. Many cases are reported regarding elder abuse every year, and an even more significant number of cases go unreported. Most of the time, abusers are family members such as adult children, grandchildren, spouses/partners, or caregivers in institutions for long-term care facilities. If you suspect any of such abuses with an older adult, it is essential to contact an elder abuse attorney, who will guide you on how to help that elder person. To recognize elder abuse it is important to be well aware of its types.
Types of elder abuse:
Elder abuse can be of various kinds, some of which are listed below.
Physical abuse:
Physical abuse is the intentional use of force on an elderly individual that can cause pain, injury, or other physical impairment. This abuse includes physical forces such as hitting, pushing, shoving, kicking, or pinching an elderly person. It also includes physical contact such as inappropriately using drugs, restraints, or confining the victim. Some warning signs in such victims that need not be neglected such as the presence of bruises, welts, and scars, broken or dislocated bones, and broken assistive devices such as glasses or cane. Also, signs of restraint include rope marks on the wrists, drug overdose or underdose, and a consistent medication regimen.
Emotional abuse:
Emotional distress can be defined as treating an elderly person so that it causes emotional /psychological pain or distress. Such behaviors include intimidating them through yelling, threatening, bullying, ridiculing, humiliating, habitual blaming and scapegoating, ignoring them, and isolating them from friends and family activities. The interaction between abuser and victim can easily detect the warning signs of such abuse. Signs like rocking, sucking, or mumbling to themselves also indicate emotional abuse.
Sexual abuse:
Any sexual act with an elder without their consent is considered sexual abuse. If the elderly person doesn’t have the required mental capacity to consent, then the consent will be of no value, and it will be considered sexual abuse. Sexual abuse may involve direct physical acts or activities like forcing them to undress, watch sex acts, or forcefully showing them pornographic material. Warning signs of sexual abuse include bruises around the breast and genitals, unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding, torn, soiled, or bloody underclothes.
Financial abuse:
The unauthorized use of an elders’ funds or property is called financial abuse. The abuser can be the caregiver or any scam artist. Financial abuse includes misusing elders’ checks, credit cards, or accounts and stealing cash, income checks, or household goods of the elderly. Also, Forging their signature and stealing their identity or trying to scam the elder out of money through fake charity or prizes. Warning signs of financial abuse include sudden and significant changes in financial records of the victim, missing cash or items from households, sudden changes in documents like a will, power of attorney, the addition of new names on signature cards, banking activities, and ATM withdrawals when the victim is bedridden.
Health care frauds and abuse:
Health care providers usually commit this type of abuse. It includes overdosed or underdosed medications, inadequate care even on full payments, duplication of medical bills, and poorly trained or insufficient healthcare service staff. Warning signs of health care fraud can be detected by reviewing bills of all the medical procedures and health care facilities.
Elder neglect:
This can be defined as the failure of a caregiver to fulfill their duties. More than half of elder abuse cases reported every year are of this abuse. Warning signs include malnutrition, bedsores, unsanitary living conditions like dirt bugs, soiled beddings or clothes, and unacceptable living conditions.
“Considering all the warning signs, if you detect someone around being elderly abused, it is important to contact a nursing home abuse attorney for prompt actions with a successful end to your claims. A vigilant and prompt action can help save an elder’s life. As a citizen, it is your responsibility to look after those who cannot help themselves,” comments Attorney Dan Christensen of DC Law.
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