Warning Signs: Elder Abuse

Elder abuse has been on the rise throughout the last decade in the United States. It is estimated that about 5 to 6% of elderly people in the United States are victims of elder abuse. Of course, there are many types of elder abuse and it is committed by several different types of people. Being on the lookout for signs, however, can be difficult to do if you do not know what to look out for. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of resources to go to in order to learn more about elder abuse. One of those places is the Administration on Aging, a governmental agency which deals with the elderly population; one concern of theirs is to provide information to the public about elder abuse.

Isolation

The number one sign of elder abuse is isolation. If you suspect an elderly person that you know is being abused physically, sexually, or mentally, one of the tell-tale signs that you'll be able to notice is isolation. The abuser will try to cut off all resources, whether financially or socially, from the elder that is being abused. If you know of someone who may be abused, the best thing to do would be to either confront the situation and see if you can resolve it yourself, or contact the authorities about the situation.

Psychological and Emotional Elder Abuse

This type of elder abuse is just as serious as physical abuse and can have just as serious consequences. Oftentimes the abuser will use psychological abuse in order to get the elderly person isolated from their other friends and families. Lies will be fed to them and they will essentially be brainwashed by the abuser.

The APS

Contacting the Adult Protective Services in your State is crucial if you know someone who may be a victim of elder abuse. The APS is like the CPS, Child Protective Services, except that it is concerned with protecting adults who already have disabilities or who are elderly. Once you have contacted them then they will usually assign a caseworker to your elder abuse situation.

Everyone needs to realize that elder abuse does happen and someone they know just could be a victim of this type of abuse. It is just as dangerous as any other types of abuse simply because the elderly person may not have the ability to fight back on their own. Doing your part to protect the elderly of society will help prevent elder abuse in all its forms.