Types of Elder Abuse
Elderly people, especially those who suffer from medical conditions, are sometimes subject to abusive treatment. Abuse can be in the form of neglect, when an elderly person goes uncared for due to their actions or the actions of others. Other forms of abuse are physical, sexual, mental, and financial. The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that only 1 in 14 domestic elder abuse incidents are reported to the authorities. This statistic excludes all incidents of self-abuse.
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Neglect
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Elderly people, especially those who rely heavily on caregivers at a nursing home or other establishment, sometimes fall victim to neglect. This occurs when a caregiver refuses or fails to fulfill their obligations to feed, medicate, shelter, clothe, bathe, comfort, or keep the elderly person safe. A person who provides financial support to the elder, such as a trustee, can also be found guilty of neglect if they stop providing that support.
Self-neglect can also be inflicted. Some elderly people suffer from ailments that prevent them from successfully caring for themselves, such as Alzheimer's disease. An elderly person who does not feed, medicate, cloth, or shelter themselves properly is engaging in self-neglect. Some people may voluntarily engage in this behavior in an attempt to end their life.
Physical Abuse
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Physical abuse involves the physical injury or restraint of an elderly person. Force-feeding, inappropriate use of medication, and physical restraints are some methods of physical abuse. Typically, a person who is subject to this kind of abuse has some sort of injury, such as bruises, welts, bone fractures, cuts or sprains. An elder who is abused physically may have a sudden change in behavior or may be prohibited from seeing visitors.
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Sexual Abuse
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Some elders are subject to non-consensual sexual contact. While this includes unwanted touching, rape, sodomy, forced nudity, and photographing, it also includes all sexual contact with a person who is deemed incapable of giving consent.
Under this definition, a spouse can be guilty of sexual abuse if they engage in any sexual contact with their partner when the partner is deemed unable to consent.
Mental Abuse
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Mental abuse is a broad topic that encompasses verbal and non-verbal threats, insults, humiliation, isolation and treating the elder like a child. The elderly person should not be kept from seeing visitors or participating in certain activities unless there is a solid medical reason for the prohibition. Refusing to speak to the elder or explain medications, medical procedures, or other actions is also considered abuse.
Financial Abuse
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Elderly people are often victims of financial exploitation. This occurs when someone steals the elderly person's money through mismanagement, forging signatures, stealing possessions, or deceiving an elderly person into signing any document, such as a contract or a will. Improper use of power of attorney or trusteeship is also considered financial abuse.
The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that only 1 in 25 cases of financial abuse are reported. There may be as many as 5 million elderly financial abuse victims every year.
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