According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), one out of every ten Americans aged 60 and up has experienced some kind of elder abuse. The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) categorizes elder abuse into seven forms. Knowing the many sorts of elder abuse can help safeguard older people, especially those in nursing facilities. Contact an elder law attorney in Ontario, CA, today to learn more.
What is elder abuse and neglect?
Elder abuse is defined as physical, emotional, or sexual violence performed on an older adult and financial exploitation or disregard for their wellbeing by those directly responsible for their care. Every year, more than 500,000 allegations of elder abuse reach authorities in the United States alone, with millions more incidents going undetected.
As people age, they lose their ability to care for themselves, stand up to bullying, and fight back if attacked. Ailments, whether mental or physical, might make them more difficult companions for those who live with them. And they may not be able to see, hear, or think as well as they once did, allowing opportunities for unscrupulous others to take advantage of them.
Elder abuse typically occurs in the senior’s residence, where the perpetrators are frequently adult children, other family members such as grandkids, or a spouse or partner. In institutional settings, particularly long-term care institutions, elder abuse can occur.
If you feel that an old person is at risk from a careless or overburdened caregiver or that they are being financially exploited, you must speak up. Everyone has the right to live with safety, decency, and respect.
Types of elder abuse
Elder abuse can take many forms, including threats or intimidation directed at the elderly, financial deception, and neglect.
The most typical are:
- Physical abuse
Using force against an aged person is not unintentional and results in bodily discomfort, harm, or disability. Physical attacks such as striking or shoving are examples of such abuse, as is the inappropriate use of medicines, shackles, or incarceration.
- Emotional abuse
Treatment of an elderly person that causes emotional or psychological discomfort or anguish includes:
- Habitual scapegoating or blaming.
- Humiliation and ridicule.
- Intimidation through threats or yelling.
- Terrorizing or menacing the elderly person.
- Isolating an elder from companions or activities.
- Ignoring the elderly person.
- Sexual abuse
Nonconsensual contact with an old person. Such interaction can include actual sexual acts, but it may also involve behaviors like presenting an elderly person with pornography, forcing the person to witness sex acts, or forcing the senior to undress.
