Americans are living longer these days. Of course, there are some obvious reasons why. Those include advances in disease prevention and treatment, healthier lifestyle choices, and safer public health measures, like clean water and food safety.
As the country ages, the number of adults who require skilled nursing and other long-term care also rises. Physical comorbidities and mental disabilities, such as Alzheimerโs and other dementia, make independent living untenable. But so many older adults canโt afford the skyrocketing cost of homeย care.
All these factors create the perfect storm for abuse of the older, most vulnerable population. Even if you donโt have a parent or grandparent whom youโre responsible for, abuse is a problem everyone needs to address. Here are three ways you can help.
1. Hold Abusers Accountable
There is an unfortunate dynamic occurring in skilled nursing facilities. The need for them is growing while the ability to staff them is declining. Consequently, such facilities often either have insufficient staffing or theyโre staffed with the wrong people.
The result is that residents in them face an increased risk of suffering from abuse or neglect. There is potential for physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Staff who are there for a paycheck without really valuing the people they care for present a clear and present danger.
Moreover, staffing shortages can result in the unreasonable confinement and isolation of residents. Cost-cutting efforts by financially stressed institutions can result in depriving residents of medication, therapies, and hygiene assistance.
You may have entrusted such a care facility with your loved one. Donโt turn a blind eye to how residents are treated while they are there. These facilities need to be held accountable for the abuse or neglect of those they are charged with taking care of. Watch for the signs, then talk to a nursing home abuse lawyer the moment you witness any. A lawyer experienced in this niche knows how to investigate, collect evidence, and prove neglect and abuse.
Holding individuals and institutions accountable for how they treat residents is critical to stopping them from causing further suffering. If you donโt, they will continue to harm the health, safety, and lives of vulnerable older adults. Halting the cycle is everyoneโs responsibility.
2. Recognize the Signs
As noted, one of the first steps in stopping elder abuse is recognizing the signs. Many of them are obvious. Others may require closer scrutiny to uncover, but none of them should be overlooked.
Bruising usually occurs more often in older adults as their skin becomes thinner and blood vessels weaken. Moreover, adults tend to become more accident-prone as they age. Itโs therefore easy to take bruises, abrasions, and cuts as just evidence of more accidents, but donโt. Look for signs such as obvious finger marks in the bruise pattern or abrasions that donโt heal. They could be caused by contact or by dehydration, vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, and other neglect.
Increasing fear, anxiety, stress, withdrawal, and isolation can be signs of emotional abuse. Poor hygiene, bedsores, unwashed clothing, and a lack of food and water can be signs of neglect. So can overflowing trash cans, insect infestations, and filthy spaces that havenโt been cleaned for some time.
Financial abuse is also rampant among older adults. Unpaid bills, missing checkbooks, and changes in someoneโs spending habits are some signs. Observe the spending habits of anyone claiming they take care of an elder, and check accounts and documents for signatures.
That nephew, child, or friend who seems to visit an older adult frequently may not be there to help. Your vigilance for an older adult may help prevent further abuse or provide the information needed to report it. When someone is looking after an elderly loved one, keep an eye on them to make sure they arenโt taking advantage of their role.
3. Ask the Right Questions and Listen to the Answers
Itโs common for elderly adults to be afraid of telling someone about abuse or being unable to communicate it. These are two factors that make it challenging for doctors to diagnose abuse and neglect. They certainly make it difficult for family and friends to uncover it.
Abuse victims at any age may hesitate to tell on their abusers because they live in fear of retribution the abuser has threatened. They may also be afraid that if they do speak up, no one will believe them.
You must become a trusted person and provide a safe, protective space for an elder you know. If they mention anything about abuse, donโt brush it off as hyperbole or chalk it up to dementia or paranoia. Instead, ask them follow-up questions to see whether they will tell you more.
Some general questions you can ask are whether someone has touched them in an uncomfortable manner or struck or pushed them. Ask whether they have been prohibited from doing something or someone has threatened them. Also ask whether anyone has asked them to sign any documents or asked to borrow money or belongings.
If the elderly individual responds in any way that makes you suspicious, itโs time to start asking others questions. If the adult is a resident in a facility, meet with the administrator to discuss the issue. Then make sure potential abuse is followed up on, inquiries are made, and you are satisfied with the findings and resulting remedies.
If you are not satisfied, talk to a nursing home abuse lawyer or call an elder abuse hotline. Both can provide guidance on what you can do to confirm or disprove allegations. Be the elder personโs voice when no one else is listening.
Help Canโt Wait
Maybe the signs you see or the utterances of an older adult can be explained in some other way than abuse. Maybe they canโt. What is certain is that finding out for sure canโt wait.
As is true with preventing anything that can hurt someone, intervention is critical. If in the end it was a false alarm, so be it. If not, perhaps youโve saved the quality of life โ even the life itself โ of someone vulnerable to harm.
Last Updated on by kalidaspandian
Top Comments