What is elder abuse? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as CDC, elder abuse is an institutional act or failure to act that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult. An older adult is someone age 60 or older. There are various forms of elder abuse such as the following:
Physical elder abuse is a form of violence or harm that may happen regularly or just once. The individual may experience illness, pain, injury, functional impairment, distress, or death as a result of intentional use of physical force. Physical force can include acts such as punching, kicking, hitting, slapping, pushing, scratching, restraining, and burning. Signs to recognize elder abuse can be strange injuries, bruises, or negative behavior changes.
Emotional elder abuse can be verbal, rejection, and gaslighting. Verbal abuse consists of yelling, insulting, and swearing at the elder. Rejection consists of rejecting the elder’s thoughts or of feelings about things. Gaslighting is making the individual doubt their own feelings and thoughts.
Sexual abuse involves forced or unwanted sexual interaction.
Elder neglect is a form of self-neglect or institutional abuse. The elder is deprived of basic needs that include food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene, and essential medical care.
Financial abuse is the use of the elder’s money, benefits, belongings, property or assets without their permission for the benefit of another person.
Elder abuse is common and an underreported crime. Elder abuse can have several physical and emotional effects on an older adult. If you or someone you know is experiencing elder abuse, you can report it. You can find the reporting number for your state by using the National Center on Elder Abuse State Resources Database or call 911.
Disclaimer: While we always seek to establish accuracy when publishing articles, this piece is not intended to provide legal advice, and should not be used as such. Each individual case will differ and should be discussed with an attorney or legal expert. If you would like to inquire about pursuing a claim, please contact us at (858) 252-0781 or email brett@acclaimlaw.com