Avoiding Abuse
Special thank you to Belinda Bryan – Elder Care Coordinator at Family Safety Center of Memphis and Shelby County – who came to speak with our caregivers last year about the dangers of abuse and how to find help.
Abuse is real. Every family caregiver needs to know what abuse is so they can identify and steer their loved ones away from abusive care situations.
Some signs of abuse include:
- Physical abuse – Signs to look for include bruises, broken bones, over- or under-medicating, or not allowing visitors to see the elder alone.
- Sexual abuse – Signs of sexual abuse are bruises around breasts or genital area, STDs, unexplained bleeding, torn, stained, or bloody underclothing.
- Emotional abuse – Characteristic signs are being emotionally upset or agitated, extremely withdrawn and non-communicative or non-responsive, or unusual behavior (e.g. sucking, biting, rocking, etc.)
- Neglect – Neglect is defined as a failure to fulfill one’s obligations or duties to provide care to an elder adult. Common signs of neglect are poor hygiene, pressure sores, malnutrition, dehydration, medication errors, and unsafe or unclean living conditions.
- Financial Exploitation – Financial abuse or exploitation is defined as the illegal or improper use of an elder’s funds, property or assets. To identify financial exploitation of an older person, watch for sudden changes in bank account activity or bank practices including withdrawal of large sums of money, adding names to accounts, unauthorized withdrawal of funds using an ATM card, abrupt changes in a will or other financial documents, quick deeding their home to another person, unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions, substandard care being provided, or bills unpaid.
Source: Family Safety Center, “What is Elder Abuse”, https://familysafetycenter.org/how-we-help/crea/what-is-elder-abuse/
For more information on keeping your loved ones safe, or to find help, you can always reach out to our friends at the Family Safety Center by visiting familysafetycenter.org
Cover Photo Source: Cover photo: walker on blue. Photo by Shopify Partners from Burst