A dilemma of growing proportion is the abuse of elderly Americans. It occurs in their homes, the homes of their relatives, and in the facilities that are in charge of their care. It may be in the form of physical, sexual or emotional mistreatment. Physical abuse results in pain, injury or impairment. It is non-accidental use of force and can include hitting, pushing, restraining or confinement. Emotional cruelty entails treating an elder person in a way that causes emotional distress or pain. Verbal forms consist of yelling or threatening which cause intimidation. It can also involve ridiculing or continually blaming the elder for things out of their control. Nonverbal psychological elder abuse can involve ignoring, isolating or frightening the elder individual.

Elder abuse may involve financial exploitation involving sudden changes in the elder’s accounts or items and cash missing from the household or just basic neglect by family caregivers. They may suffer abuse at the hands of the healthcare industry by professional-level people. Things like overcharging, double-billing, over or under medicating and Medicare fraud may be involved.

Obvious signs of neglect by caregivers or self-neglect could be unusual weight loss, unsanitary or unsafe living conditions, or inappropriate clothing for the weather conditions. The demands of caregiving and the needs of elders can contribute to situations in which abuse is more likely to occur. Nonprofessional caregivers, like spouses, adult children, and friends may succumb to the stress of elder care. Risk factors include the inability to cope with the stress and the perception of elder care as being burdensome, endless and without reward.

To report elder abuse you need to approach friends, family or physicians whom you can trust. There is no federal standard on who is required to report suspected elder abuse. In most states medical personnel, nursing home workers, public officials, social workers, counselors and clergy are considered mandatory reporters. Financial institutions and other agencies that work with seniors are often held responsible for mandatory reporting too. The National Center on Elder Abuse will help you find your state’s elder abuse helpline.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care

Watch the PBS Special, “The Forgetting.”