Senior abuse has many faces. None of them are nice.

Unfortunately, a recent study released by the National Center on Elder Abuse reveals that close to 2 million American seniors have been exploited financially by a caregiver, emotionally abused and/or physically, mentally and psychologically abused.

Those figures are disgusting and are likely just the tip of the iceberg, as these incidents don’t just take place in nursing homes or other elder care facilities. Senior abuse goes on behind the closed doors where many seniors still live at home, being perpetrated by people they know. By people they know - think about that for a minute. What does that say about the state of our nation today? Hardly a social commentary we would want to brag about.

If you suspect a loved one is being abused or exploited in their own home, or at another location, there are some warning signs to keep an eye on. Physical abuse is usually relatively easy to identify, but other forms are not that obvious. For instance, in cases of elder neglect, the individual will likely not have had decent medical care, may be malnourished, have pressure ulcers, expired medications or no medications when they need them and may be not as clean as they would want to be. Knowing what the senior is usually like compared to how you are seeing them now will help you make comparisons.

Elder emotional abuse usually rears its ugly head and manifests itself in the senior having a sudden and unexplained change in their normal behavior, changes in how alert they usually are; changes in other usual behavior patterns they have always exhibited and in some cases, a reluctance or withdrawal from their usual activities and relationships.

Abuse can also come in the form of financial exploitation. This has got to be one of the all time lows that a person can stoop to; ripping off seniors who need their mostly limited income to live on, buy drugs and pay for insurance or nursing care. Financially exploiting a senior may involve check forgery, theft of property or money, and a wide variety of seemingly never ending scams and frauds.
If the senior in your life suddenly alters their will, finds their bank account wiped out, is issuing checks for large amounts of money to some unknown person or there is a series of strange withdrawals, something is up and it’s time to check what’s going on. Other forms of altered behavior may see the senior lose their property in a scam and give excessive gifts to a caretaker.

If you suspect some form of abuse is going on, take the initiative to install security cameras that are triggered by motion or remotely. There is no better evidence than a video of abuse in action. Having an at-home security system for your senior is also a smart step, as it provides them with a sense of security and control over their lives and keeps them safe.

Domestic elder abuse is the most under-reported crime in America today. Shockingly, roughly 1 in 14 incidents are ever reported. Each generation our senior population grows, so the issue of elder abuse is everyone’s concern.

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Deborah Barron is a Sacramento business lawyer, Sacramento employment lawyer, and Sacramento personal injury lawyer in California. To learn more, visit www.lawbarron.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

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