In the U.S., an elderly person is abused an average of once every five seconds. Of the six million cases of elder abuse every year, the highest percentage occur in California. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Yola County, California has a population of 26,724 people over the age of 60, with an estimated 2,952 reported and unreported elder abuse cases each year.
Abuse can occur in an elder's home, in nursing homes and in assisted living facilities by the elder's family members, hospice volunteers, health care providers and staff members of care facilities. Last year, a judgment was obtained against an assisting living facility in California for $1.3 million for abuse of an elder under its care. In another elder abuse case, a family's mother died of infection brought on by gangrene in an untended wound while under hospice care.
What is Elder Abuse?
Elder abuse can take many forms:
- Neglect: intentionally or unintentionally failing to provide adequate care
- Fraudulent health care: charging for medical services not provided, under-medicating or getting referral kickbacks
- Physical abuse: inappropriate use of drugs, restraints or confinement as well as intentionally causing pain, injury or impairment
- Financial exploitation: unauthorized use of funds and property through scams, stealing, identity theft or forgery
- Emotional abuse: verbal harassment, intimidation and humiliation and non-verbal acts of ignoring or isolating the elder
- Sexual abuse: non-consensual touching, forcing the elder to undress or watch sexual acts or pornography
Warning Signs of Abuse
A number of warning signs may signal potential elder abuse, such as:
- Unexplained signs of physical injury
- Torn, stained or bloody clothing
- Changes in personality or behavior
- Inappropriate behavior by the caregiver that you witness
- Tension between the caregiver and elderly person
- Untreated or persistent bed sores or other physical problems
- Poor hygiene or unsanitary living conditions
- Changes to the elder's financial condition
If you suspect abuse, whether it be of an elderly neighbor or family member, do not ignore the warning signs. If you or a loved one is a victim of elder abuse, seek the advice of a lawyer experienced with health-care facility abuse and neglect, fraud, and financial exploitation of elders.
