HNEtalk

Your Elders Keeper

Posted on June 15, 2012

Respect your elders and the world will respect you ~ Saeed Ahmed

This blog may not be fun, or funny or cynical, like my posts usually are – but it’s actually quite important to me.  (And if you just click away without reading it, I hope you feel horribly guilty and get the hiccups for the rest of your day!  Yes, I’m immature.  What of it?)

Now, did you know that June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day?  Did you know that, according to www.mass.gov,  the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Protective Services received more than 18,000 reports of abuse in 2011 — an increase from the year before? In fact, the rise in numbers of cases is part of a worrisome trend. Among the reasons for the escalating rates of abuse and neglect are the economic challenges and the isolation of seniors. There are always unscrupulous people who will prey on older people who seem vulnerable.

You might not recognize signs of elder abuse. In fact, many of the signs and symptoms do overlap with symptoms of mental decline, but that doesn’t mean you should dismiss them.

If you suspect elder abuse, but aren’t sure, look for the following signs.

Physical abuse
  • Unexplained injuries such as bruises, welts, or scars, especially if they appear symmetrically on two side of the body
  • Broken bones, sprains, or dislocations
  • Report of drug overdose or apparent failure to take medication regularly (a prescription has more remaining than it should)
  • Broken eyeglasses
  • Signs of being restrained, such as rope marks on wrists
  • Caregiver’s refusal to allow you to see the elder alone
Emotional abuse In addition to the general signs above, indications of emotional elder abuse include

  • Threatening, belittling, or controlling caregiver behavior that you witness
  • Behavior from the elder that mimics dementia, such as rocking, sucking, or mumbling to oneself
Sexual abuse
  • Bruises around breasts or genitals
  • Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases or genital infections
  • Unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding
  • Torn, stained, or bloody underclothing
Neglect by caregivers or self-neglect
  • Unusual weight loss, malnutrition, dehydration
  • Untreated physical problems, such as bed sores
  • Unsanitary living conditions: dirt, bugs, soiled bedding and clothes
  • Being left dirty or unwashed
  • Unsuitable clothing or covering for the weather
  • Unsafe living conditions (no heat or running water; faulty electrical wiring, other fire hazards)
  • Desertion of the elder at a public place

 

 

 

Financial exploitation
  • Significant withdrawals from the elder’s accounts
  • Sudden changes in the elder’s financial condition
  • Items or cash missing from the elder’s household
  • Suspicious changes in wills, power of attorney, titles, and policies
  • Addition of names to the elder’s signature card
  • Unpaid bills or lack of medical care, although the elder has enough money to pay for them
  • Financial activity the elder couldn’t have done, such as an ATM withdrawal when the account holder is bedridden
  • Evidence of unnecessary services, goods, or subscriptions
Healthcare fraud and abuse
  • Duplicate billings for the same medical service or device
  • Evidence of over-medication or under-medication
  • Evidence of inadequate care when bills are paid in full
  • Problems with the care facility:
    – Poorly trained, poorly paid, or insufficient staff
    – Crowding
    – Inadequate responses to questions about care

Reporting elder abuse

The Massachusetts District Attorneys urge citizens to always give the benefit of the doubt to an elder’s safety.  When in doubt, REPORT!

In the case of elders (persons age 60 and over), state law requires physicians, nurses, dentists, social workers, police, firefighters, council on aging employees, assisted living personnel and others to file a report with the Department of Elder Affairs whenever they have reasonable cause to believe that an elderly person is suffering from or has died as a result of abuse. 

You may report abuse by calling the Elder Abuse Hotline, 800.922.2275 (Voice/TTY)

Prevent elder abuse and neglect

  • Listen to seniors and their caregivers
  • Intervene when you suspect elder abuse
  • Educate others about how to recognize and report elder abuse

For more information:  http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/ncearoot/Main_Site/index.aspx

The great secret that all old people share is that you really haven’t changed in seventy or eighty years. Your body changes, but you don’t change at all. And that, of course, causes great confusion. ~ Doris Lessing

Categories: General Health Care: Educational Series, Uncategorized

Tags: , , ,

Leave a Reply