Is your loved one a victim of elder abuse?

 

Approximately two in ten Americans who are 50 years old or older experienced elder abuse. Some elders have been abused in their own homes by family members or relatives, while other elders have been neglected or mistreated in nursing home facilities. As elderly people grow older, they become physically weaker and may be incapable of recognizing signs of abuse, even if they do, they not be able to clearly communicate with others or stand up for themselves. Well, it’s really difficult to know how common it is. So, if your loved one has been a victim of elder abuse or if you suspect your loved one is suffering from elder abuse, we urge you to take action right away.

Keep in mind that many physical injuries and seemingly abnormal behavior in elders are common results of aging. So, try not to see the possibility of elder abuse in every little behavioral change or injury that you notice. However, if you may have noticed some unexplained injuries or behavioral changes with your elder or it may just be a feeling that something is not right with your loved one. You can contact the Sacramento Elder Abuse Lawyer at York Law Firm for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Our elder abuse lawyers in Northern California will confidentially discuss the situation and guide you properly.

Following Are Some Types Of Elder Abuse:

1. Physical Abuse: Common forms of physical abuse are hitting, shoving, or otherwise physically harming an individual. Signs of physical abuse include welts, scrapes, sores, lacerations, concussions, broken bones, or burns.

2. Sexual Abuse: Sexual Abuse is any kind of non-consensual contact with an elder including forcing the elder to perform sexual acts, rape, forcing the elder to undress, showing the elder pornographic images, etc.

3. Emotional Abuse: Emotional abuse can be done verbally and non-verbally. This includes verbally threatening, screaming at, or instilling fear in an elderly person, causing isolation or hesitation to talk freely.

4. Neglect/Abandonment of Caregivers: Neglect usually means failing to provide the elder’s basic life necessities or services like food, shelter, healthcare, nursing services, or protection. Other Signs of elderly neglect may include:

·        Bedsores or ulcers

·        Lack of hygienic practices

·        Failure to nourish and hydrate the elder with proper meals, drinks, or medicine

·        Lost medical aids and unsanitary living spaces

5. Financial or Exploitative Abuse: Financial abuse is a wrongful act of using elder’s money or resources for someone else’s benefit without their consent. Signs of financial abuse include large withdrawals or purchases from the resident’s accounts, sudden and unexpected changes in the financial condition. Other Signs include cash and/or any expensive items missing from the elder’s household, suspicious changes in wills, power of attorney, and the addition of other names to the elder’s signature card.

 

Other Warning signs of elder abuse that you may notice include:

·        Confusion, Anxiety, or depression

·        Bruises, broken bones, lacerations

·        No explanation for any loss of money

·        Significant weight loss or undernourishment

·        Poor hygiene

Detachment from family or friends