Elder Abuse

Elder abuse refers to the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an elderly person. All concerned citizens (non-mandated reporters) are encouraged to make reports of suspected elder abuse, but they are not required to do so by the law. All reports are confidential, no names are given, and there is protection from civil and criminal liability if a report of elder abuse is made in good faith.

Causes of Elder Abuse

There are several types of elder abuse. The most common types include:

Domestic Elder Abuse – the abuse of the elderly by a member of his or her family.
Institutional Elder Abuse – the abuse of the elderly by the staff of a nursing home facility.
Self-neglect – behavior on the part of an older person that places his or her health and safety at risk.

Types of Elder Abuse

There are several types of elder abuse. Some of the most common types of abuse include:

Physical Abuse – beatings, sexual abuse, denial of food or water, and excessive use of restraints are all ways that the elderly are physically abused.
Psychological or Emotional Abuse – threats, isolation, verbal assault, and humiliation are all ways that the elderly are psychologically or emotionally abused.
Financial Abuse – cashing an elderly person's check without their permission, forging their signature, stealing their money or possessions, and abusing guardianship or power of attorney are all ways that the elderly are financially abused.
Neglect – failure to provide food, water, shelter, clothing and other necessities are ways that the elderly are neglected.
Abandonment – deserting an elderly person at a public place such as a shopping mall, hospital, or nursing home is defined as abandonment.

Nursing Home Abuse

Today there are nearly 1.5 million Americans who live in a nursing home. With the looming retirement of the Baby Boomers, it is predicted that this number will increase dramatically in the coming years. Unfortunately, as that number rises, so does the likelihood that our elderly loved ones will be victims of nursing home abuse.

More than half of American nursing homes are below the suggested minimum staffing level for nurses’ aides. Unfortunately, many of these nurses’ aides are the lowest paid and least trained of all nursing home staff, but are oftentimes the ones primarily responsible in caring for the elderly. Other than low and undertrained staff, other factors such as heavy workloads and low pay employees are other issues that contribute to nursing home abuse.

Injuries Sustained from Elder Abuse

Some common injuries sustained in elder abuse include:

Bedsores
Bruising
Infections
Broken bones
Traumatic brain injury
Neck injury
Bowel impactions
Spinal cord injury
Death

Reporting Elder Abuse

There are several groups of people that by law must report elder abuse to the proper authorities:

Law enforcement officers
Adult Protective Services employees
Health care providers
Dependent care custodians – this includes nursing home employees and hospice care employees

Elder abuse can be reported to Adult Protective Services and other law enforcement agencies.

Filing an Elder Abuse Lawsuit

If you suspect elder abuse you may be able to file a lawsuit. Filing an elder abuse lawsuit is an effective means of redressing the grievances of the elderly victim. By filing an elder abuse lawsuit you may be able to obtain compensation for any injuries for negligence, medical expenses, pain and suffering suffered by the victim.

Elder Abuse Attorney

If you or a loved one has been a victim of elder abuse or nursing home abuse, you may want to contact an elder abuse attorney for more information.