Four ways to detect elder abuse

The older we get, the more we rely on others to take care of us. For many who find themselves in this position, it can be a demeaning situation. After all, they have lived your whole life taking care of themselves and even their children, and to now have their body fail is incredibly frustrating. This situation can be compounded exponentially if abuse is involved. From having personal belongings stolen to physical abuse, any abuse to an elder must be stopped immediately.

When any of these types of abuse happen, especially if it was done by a nurse or employee, you have to take action. Criminal action and civil lawsuits can go a long way to get the justice your loved one deserves and to ensure nothing like it happens again. That is why visiting the-medical-negligence-experts.co.uk and contacting the police to file a report should be the first two steps you take, before then going to try to find better help for your loved one or even taking them in yourself. That being said, it doesn’t matter if you are related. No matter who you are, if you recognise any of these signs of elder abuse you must contact authorities immediately:

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse, unfortunately, is one of the easiest ways to detect abuse of an elderly loved one. All you need to do to detect it is to visit often and check for any bruises, cuts, burns, or bleeding. Broken bones or injuries that occur repeatedly are all signs of physical abuse, and so long as you visit often, you should be able to recognise any of these signs early on and stop the person responsible. Of course, if the abuse is coming from another family member, this abuse might be harder to spot.

Psychological Abuse

Psychological abuse is likely one of the more common means of abuse to the elderly. It occurs again because your elderly loved one is less able to stand up and fight back. Signs of psychological abuse won’t appear on their bodies, but rather in how they act. If they are withdrawn, frightened, depressed, confused, or otherwise despondent, you have to find out why.

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse is also incredibly common in relation to the ways elders can be abused. From people outright stealing their belongings to making withdrawals from your loved ones’ bank account, financial abuse is dangerous. Watching over their finances and taking any allegations of thievery seriously are how you can prevent this kind of abuse first-hand.

Neglect

Neglect occurs simply when those tasked with taking care of your loved one, don’t. This malpractice is dangerous and can affect your loved ones’ health and life, though thankfully you can get a handle on it early on just by visiting often and checking in.

Elder abuse should never be condoned, and the best way to help prevent this abuse is to know the signs of it. Know what to look for, know what you can do, and save someone who needs you.