How to Identify a Victim of Elderly Abuse

Elderly people who are dependent on others for care can fall victim to physical, emotional and financial abuse or neglect. Here's how to spot potential problems.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Therapists

1. Note any physical signs of abuse: bruises, especially around the wrists (caused by restraints); skin tears or cuts; bedsores; and soiled sheets or clothes.

2. Look for a change in personality: withdrawal, depression, fear or nervousness around a certain person, or anxiety.

3. Watch for signs of abuse from the caregiver, such as yelling, pushing or pulling.

4. Note whether the elderly person has given away valuable items or money, whether possessions have disappeared from her home, whether a caregiver is wearing her clothes or jewelry and whether her spending patterns have changed.

5. Look for evidence that the elderly person has missed appointments.

6. Note deterioration in thinking patterns or health (which may be due to a lack of food), illnesses not responding to treatment, overmedication and frequent trips to the emergency room.

7. Look for signs of drug or alcohol use, which could indicate abuse.

Tips & Warnings

• Know that abusers may be family members, in-home caregivers, or people who work at adult day-care centers or nursing homes.
• Ask the elderly person whether she can trust the caregiver, whether she's afraid of the caregiver, whether someone has taken her money or other possessions, and whether she's been hit.