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Elderly People Abuse Facts

Elder abuse refers to intentional harm or negligence towards an elderly person. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), up to 2 million seniors in the U.S. have been mistreated by someone they depended on for support or care. Similar to cases of domestic violence, the majority of incidents of elder abuse go unreported. Educating one's self about elder abuse and learning how to recognize the warning signs can help combat this growing problem.

  1. Types of Abuse

    • According to the NCEA, elder abuse is not limited to physical violence. Emotional and verbal abuse, neglect and financial exploitation are other common forms of abuse that seniors may be subjected to. Emotional abuse involves speaking to or treating an elderly person in a way that causes emotional distress, while financial exploitation often occurs in the form of stealing or identity theft. Neglect refers to a failure to provide an elderly person with proper care or life necessities.

    Risk Factors

    • Risk factors of abuse among family members, spouses or other nonprofessional caregivers include depression, alcoholism and an inability to cope with stress. A caregiver that views the elder as burdensome may be more prone to lashing out at the elder under her care. Nursing home staff that lack sufficient training, are burned out or have too many responsibilities may also take their frustrations out on the elders they care for.

    Warning Signs

    • Unexplained injuries or bruises, weight loss and a sudden change in an elder's financial situation are all warning signs of abuse. Additional warning signs include threatening or aggressive behavior of an elder's caregiver, unsanitary living conditions or untreated physical problems. Unusual behavior from an elderly person such as rocking or talking to herself may also be a sign that the elder is being abused.

    Legislation

    • According to the NCEA, all 50 states have enacted legislation to provide adult protective services to combat elder abuse. In addition to establishing a system to report and investigate abuse, the laws also provide services to victims of abuse. Efforts are currently underway to improve the investigation and prosecution of elder abuse cases.

    Raising Awareness

    • June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and the NCEA encourages individuals to sponsor an event or to start an elder abuse awareness group on social networking sites. The NCEA also encourages people to become involved in local elder abuse prevention groups or to volunteer with elderly in the community. Since isolation can increase the risk of elder abuse, regularly checking up on a senior in the community may reduce the risk of abuse and help identify any warning signs.

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