Silent Suffering: 6 Ways to Recognize and Prevent Elder Abuse
- russcranemba
- Dec 28, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 28, 2024
As people age, it's crucial to be aware of the signs and risks of elder abuse. It can occur within any culture, socio-economic status, any ethnic or religious group, or any other group. Abuse does not recognize any differences among us.
What is Elder Abuse?
Elder abuse occurs when an older adult, age 60 years or older, is mistreated or harmed by someone they trust. This can occur within family or professional circles and in the home or in a care facility. Elder abuse can be subtle or blatant, but either way can be easy to miss. This is especially true when children or others do not live near their loved one and cannot personally verify the truth of reports from others. Abuse can occur whether an older person experiences cognitive difficulties or whether they are cognitively intact.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) defines elder abuse as “an intentional act or failure to act that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult." Elder abuse often occurs at the hands of a caregiver, a family member, or a person the elder trusts.
Elder abuse can take many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, financial, and neglect. These forms of elder abuse can be summarized as follows:
Physical abuse includes inappropriate touching, hitting, pushing or other forms of physical contact that cause illness, pain, injury, functional impairment, distress or death to the older person.
Sexual abuse is inappropriate touch of personal areas on the body. It is forced or unwanted sexual interaction of any kind with an older person. This can include intercourse that is not consensual and often not even understood by people with cognitive difficulty.
Emotional (or psychological) abuse takes the form of verbal or nonverbal actions that cause fear, distress, mental trauma, or anguish to the older person. This can include name calling, disrespect, humiliation, threats, gaslighting, and isolation from interpersonal relationships.
Financial abuse (or financial exploitation) is defined by the US Department of Justice as the “improper use of an adult's funds, property or resources by another individual including, but not limited to, fraud, false pretenses, embezzlement, conspiracy, forgery, falsifying records, coercion, property transfers or denying them access to their wealth.”
Neglect is ignoring the basic needs of an individual causing harm to their person, including not feeding or changing a person who needs help with these tasks. This can also include not checking on or verifying the well-being of an older loved one.
The Scope of the Problem
According to World Health Organization ("WHO") estimates, each year worldwide about 1 in 6 people age 60 years and older who live in the community experience some form of elder abuse. About 12% of these people experience several different types of abuse. experiencing the various forms of elder abuse. This is a big issue!
According to the US Department of Justice (USDOJ), "10% of adults over 60 in the United States experience some form of abuse each year. Studies have also shown that about two-thirds of elder abuse victims are women." USDOJ's research indicates that only about 1 in every 24 cases of elder abuse is reported, pointing to a likely higher prevalence.
In nursing homes and long-term care facilities, the rate of elder abuse is often much higher than in the general population.
A Real-World Example of Financial Abuse and How It Was Handled
When I was working in a long-term care facility, one of the aides overheard a family member in the room with one of our residents telling her family member just to sign the several checks “so the monthly bills could be paid.” The resident asked the family member why the checks were blank and was assured they would be filled out with the correct payee and amount before they were sent out. The family member explained to the resident that they had forgotten the envelope containing the bills so they couldn’t fill them out together. So, the resident signed the checks with no further questions.
The aide was uncomfortable witnessing this conversation and so they came to my office to report it. The aide did the right thing. The facility’s management launched its own investigation and called the county’s adult protective services to report possible elder abuse. I later found out that four of the checks had, in fact, been used for bills. However, two of the checks had been made out to the family member in question for rather large amounts. This aide had been alert and was able to identify and protect a vulnerable elder from financial abuse.
FACT: According to a report by AARP, older Americans lose an estimated $28.3 billion annually to elder financial exploitation. Many of these people are victimized by someone they know and most (about 88%) of these victims never report these incidents to authorities.
Sometimes, it’s not as easy to spot elder abuse, especially if it’s not being directly observed.
Here are 6 ways to help you recognize and prevent elder abuse
1 - Recognizing the Signs
It’s important to learn to recognize possible signs of elder abuse. Just what should you be aware of to spot if anything is wrong? Look out for unexplained injuries, sudden changes in behavior, withdrawal from activities or people, and financial discrepancies, and unusual anxiety and fear when around others. These could be signs of elder abuse.
If someone is cognitively intact, they may be able to verbalize what is happening to them. However, someone with any level of cognitive loss is often not able to either understand or verbalize anything that would indicate a problem.
2 - Stay Connected
Regularly check in with your elderly loved ones. Maintaining open communication can help prevent isolation and make it easier to spot any signs of abuse. If you suspect things might be changing, such as engagement with others or different behaviors or habits, bring it up and ask questions. Go visit more often and observe who is interacting with your loved one and what goes on. Pay attention to spending habits and any sudden changes to their financial situation. Talk about these things openly, building trust with your loved one and showing yourself a person who will protect and help them.
3 - Know the Resources
Familiarize yourself with local resources and support services for elder abuse. Having this information readily available can make a difference in a crisis. Consider taking a class about elder abuse and financial fraud to familiarize yourself with how to recognize what is happening and, more importantly, how to deal with it. Many times, libraries and senior centers will offer classes and/or information about this topic for free. Local, state and national governments also offer aging services and can be located on government websites.
4 - Report Suspected Abuse
If you suspect that an older adult is being abused, don't hesitate to report it. If you suspect something, then say something. Reporting methods may vary by country.
In the United States, the National Center on Elder Abuse has a resource page to help find your state’s reporting numbers, government agencies, state laws, and other resources. You can report abuse or suspected abuse to local adult protective services, long-term care ombudsman, or the police.
In the United Kingdom, the government has provided a resource page for help in reporting suspected elder abuse.
In France, there is a national platform for reporting abuse of vulnerable persons.
Wherever you are located in the world, it's a good idea to use an internet search engine to determine the appropriate way to report suspected elder abuse.
If you feel it is necessary, in most countries reports can be made anonymously. These entities have the ability and resources to launch a full investigation and take immediate steps to protect your loved one. You are definitely not alone when facing this often-complicated issue.
5 - Educate Others
It is important to educate yourself first about elder abuse. Then spread awareness about elder abuse in your community. By educating others, you can help prevent abuse and protect vulnerable older adults. We often hear the phrase “it takes a village” in regard to keeping our children safe and healthy. The same can be true to keep our older citizens safe and healthy. By talking about these issues and with everyone keeping an eye out it becomes more difficult for people to harm the elders among us.
One other way to educate others is to get involved in activities that raise the awareness level. Every year, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (a program of the United Nations) is held on June 15th, which includes a number of ways to become educated and combat elder abuse.
6 - Seek Support
If you're a caregiver feeling overwhelmed, seek support from counseling services or support groups. Taking care of yourself is essential in preventing elder abuse. Practice coping strategies to employ when you recognize that you are getting frustrated and stressed. Give yourself grace as you live out each moment.
If you are a professional, make sure you have training in recognizing signs of elder abuse. Understand that you are human and take moments to breathe and center yourself as you go through your day. Treat others with the dignity and respect you would want from a caregiver. Know the numbers for the medical team, know the number for adult protective services, and know how to contact people who will support and offer assistance.
By understanding the signs, staying connected, knowing the resources, and taking action, you can play a crucial role in preventing elder abuse. Together, we can create a safer and more supportive environment for older adults. We can help preserve their dignity, their happiness, their resources, and their peace.
Disclaimer: The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained in this communication are for informational purposes only. No material herein is intended to be a substitute for legal advice or professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Additional Resources:
AARP. The Scope of Elder Financial Exploitation: What It Costs Victims. Jilenne Gunther, MSW, JD https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/money/scams-and-fraud/2023/true-cost-elder-financial-exploitation.doi.10.26419-2Fppi.00194.001.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fast Facts: Preventing Elder Abuse. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/elderabuse/fastfact.html
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Elder Fraud Report 2022. https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2022_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf
National Council on Aging. Get the Facts on Elder Abuse. Feb 23, 2021 | 4 min read: https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-elder-abuse
US Department of Justice. Elder Abuse. https://www.ojp.gov/feature/elder-abuse/overview
World Health Organization. Abuse of Older People. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abuse-of-older-people
Suggested Reading
The Family Guide to Preventing Elder Abuse: How to Protect Your Parents and Yourself
Practical Advice for Taking Care of Loved Ones as They Get Older
The rapid aging of the American population and its accompanying epidemic of dementia and Alzheimer's disease has brought about an awareness of the increasing vulnerability of our elders. Taking care of our parents and protecting them from exploitation and abuse at the hands of others can evolve into a virtual full-time occupation, especially among today’s baby boomers. The Family Guide to Preventing Elder Abuse provides a practical manual to help prepare the reader for the challenges that arise as our parents begin to lose their independence.
In each chapter of this guide, a nationally recognized expert provides specific advice regarding effective actions that can be taken in order to protect loved ones in every area of their lives.
The Quick Guide to Recognizing Elderly Fraud: Elderly Financial Abuse Prevention Made Easy
In 2011 MetLife Mature Market Institute estimated that financial abuse robbed elder Americans of an estimated $2.9 BILLION in 2010, and that was up significantly from 2008.
If have a family member or friend that's a senior citizen, you must see this quick and easy to read book. It could save you and others huge amounts of money and aggravation.
Our Founder
Jennifer Crane, MS, CDP, is a Gerontologist & Certified Dementia Practitioner® and founder of Age With Dignity. She provides education and consultation services for older adults, their family members and individuals who care for older adults, especially those with dementia.
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