Elder Care - Elder Abuse; How to Spot It and How to Stop It.

Elder Care - Elder Abuse; How to Spot It, How to Stop It

Elder abuse or mistreatment is a multidimensional phenomenon that includes a wide range of behaviors and circumstances that can affect elderly parents.

The term is used to represent multiple kinds of offensive actions towards the elderly. It can also be used to describe specific acts of maltreatment.

Elder abuse usually consists of repetitive instances or distinctly random acts of violence or exploitation. It may include an action which may be abusive in nature or one of inaction, lack of action or outright neglect, whether intended or not, and may be of mental, physical, psychological, verbal aggression, and financial abuse.

The elder abuse may lead to unnecessary affliction, damage, pain, negative physiological issues, violence, and loss of perceived freedom. A diminished quality of life will also result from elder abuse when actions by an elder care caregiver leads to harm or threatened physical harm, financial misdeeds, or otherwise negative treatment of a senior.

These are the medical findings and observations that could make elder abuse a strong possibility, including the following:

• Signs of mistreatment, with unexplainable injuries like scars and bruises
• Suffering from various unexplained injuries
• No immediate treatment given
• Unpredictable history of injuries
• Differing explanations as given by the patient and caregiver
• Medications and clinical findings indicating under dosage or over dosage of an elderly parent

• Physical mark of bruises, burns and other mistreatment
• Lack of fluids, signs of dehydration, starvation or malnutrition, poor sanitation, home in disarray
• Signs of despair, dejection, agitation, or unusual behavior

An array of medical, social help and services are obtainable to tackle the primary causes of mistreatment, stop it, as well as lessen the possibility that it could take place again. And these services can heal the emotional, and the physical, in addition lessen the negative financial effects.

Please see these links from government and non-profit organizations for further information:

Medline Plus - Nat'l Library of Medicine

National Center for Elder Abuse

American Psychological Association

Here is a listing of social services individuals can find for elder abuse:

• Psychological help and health reviews are often required to find out if an elder is able to meet his/her own essential needs, even on decision making concerning services, the offering of testimony, plus protecting him/herself against neglect.
• Counseling, help and continuing evaluation of elderly parent alternatives to a current elder care situation, becoming prepared for their protection/continuing protection, resolve conflicts, in addition to overcoming trauma.

• Legal assistance or legal services may become necessary in ill-treatment cases given via private attorneys or public watchdog groups or associations.
• Support Services for an elderly parent for maltreatment or abandonment is connected to the pressures linked through care giving. Social groups or specialized organizations may be able to help.
• Money management helps the elderly parent who has lost the capability to handle his/her finances.
• Support services like providing in home care, in home food programs, in home visiting to isolated elderly parents and telephone counseling for those who suffer emotional depression.
• Full assessments of the elderly person's general health, psychological capacity, and skill to manage in the home and community.

Lastly, in stopping abuse, neglect and/or self-neglect of an elderly parent it is important to stay proactive in your seniors care and make decisions based on changing requirements and needs.

This can be simply to monitor the caregivers’ willingness to improve care, the seniors’ mental state (willingness to accept help) and the general overall surroundings. If there is a suspicion of elder abuse, don’t wait for issues to go away or play out. Discuss with your family, medical professional, or social services in your area to have them help on the review and judgment if there is elder abuse.

Elderly Parents Housing Discussion