Elder abuse
 

Many of us are fortunate to have grandparents or other beloved elderly adults in our lives. Some of these individuals may need more assistance from family members and caregivers than others, but regardless of how dependent elders may be on other people, all of them are vulnerable to abuse of various forms. Unfortunately, you may have seen this in your own life. Perhaps you’ve noticed suspicious bruises, which were dismissed as the result of a “fall.” Maybe your grandparent has become much more quiet or reserved when a certain family member has entered the room. You might wonder why your elderly neighbor, who seemed to be doing well financially just a few months ago, is suddenly being evicted from their house. Are the bruises, changes in behavior, and financial problems due to the ageing process, or could these be signs of elder abuse?

What is elder abuse? According to the United States’ Administration on Ageing, hundreds of thousands of elderly adults are abused each year. Elder abuse refers to intentional harm or neglect in one of the following ways:

• Physical abuse: Inflicting physical pain or injury, which can also be done chemically (ex. forcing an elder to take medication that will cause physical pain or injury).
• Emotional abuse: Inflicting mental pain through verbal or non-verbal means, which can include humiliation, intimidation, and threatening.
• Sexual abuse: Unfortunately, age does not protect individuals from this form of abuse.
• Exploitation: This can include stealing property/money from an elder, as well as tricking them into giving property/money to their abuser, tricking them into signing legal documents, or using money inappropriately (ex. placing an elderly adult in a lower quality residential home in order to use the leftover money for personal gain).
• Neglect: Failing to provide adequate food, shelter, health care, protection, and so on, when it is within the abuser’s ability to do so.

Self-neglect occurs when an elder refuses care, which can result from mental illness (including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia) and substance abuse. In this situation, there is no abuser.

What are the signs? As stated previously, it can be difficult to determine whether an elderly adult is being abused. A bruise could genuinely result from a fall, a person’s mood may worsen due to age or the side effects of medication, and financial problems may be due to mismanagement on the elderly adult’s part (and not a result of exploitation). Every case will be different, so when reading over this list of possible signs, think about any patterns you might have seen over time, or recent changes that seemed abrupt. Be sure to rule out general medical conditions and mental illness whenever possible (especially Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, which become increasingly common as individuals age).

• An increasing number of injuries, such as bruises, burns, scratches, and broken bones.
• Becoming alert/alarmed, cautious, or withdrawn around certain individuals.
• Ceases contact with most or all of their family members and friends without explanation.
• Abrupt change in mood, which can range from depression to angry outbursts.
• Confusion and disorientation, either physically or mentally.
• Sudden shift in financial situation; inability to explain where property/money has gone.
• Absence of basic necessities in elderly adult’s residence, such as food, running water, heat/air conditioning, and phone service.
• Missing glasses/bifocals, dentures, hearing aids, canes, wheelchairs, and other items that were used to assist elderly adult.
• Poor hygiene, dirty clothing or dressed inappropriately, unusual weight loss, malnutrition, dehydration, bedsores, and/or rashes.
• Unsanitary or inappropriately small living space.
• Worsening of chronic illnesses that were previously managed well with medication/treatment.

What can I do? Just as child abuse can be reported, elder abuse can be reported to the proper authorities too. The best first point of contact would usually be your local authority or social services (such as your City Council or Adult Protective Services), though this may vary from place to place. If you are unsure of who to contact in your area you can contact your local police station who will be able to help you. Generally, you do not need concrete proof of abuse in order to file a report, however the more proof you can gather the better. In some cases, elderly adults can refuse the help, or even put a stop to the investigation. If you can convince your elderly loved one to cooperate, the chance of a positive outcome will increase significantly.

If you suspect an elderly adult is being abused, try to spend more time with that individual in order to observe their appearance, behavior, relationships, and surroundings. Over time, you may be able to pick up on subtle signs that what is going on is, in fact, due to abuse, and not due to the ageing process, mental illness, substance abuse, and/or self-neglect. Spending more time with an elderly adult can also lead to feelings of hope, as well as create a sense of empowerment for the individual who is being abused. At the very least, you will be showing them that someone cares.

Resources

Australia
Seniors.gov.au (helplines and other information)

United Kingdom
Action on Elder Abuse (helpline and other services)

United States
National Adult Protective Services Association (hotline directory)
National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (abuse occurring within nursing homes)