Are You, Or Someone You Love, Being Abused?
Florida has 4.63 million residents, age 60, and older (U.S. Census, 2010). There were approximately 44,029 cases of alleged mistreatments against elders in Florida in 2010. To Report Elder Abuse, call 1.800.96.ABUSE (1.800.962.2873).
There are many forms of abuse. Common forms of abuse include hitting, pushing, shaking, beating, yelling, verbal harassment, coercive behavior, intimidation, and other acts that cause harm.
Elder abuse is any form of mistreatment that results in harm or loss to an older person. It is generally divided into the following categories:
Physical Abuse
Pushing, striking, slapping, kicking, pinching, restraining, shaking, beating, burning, hitting, shoving, or other acts that can cause harm to an elder.
Emotional or Psychological Abuse
Verbal berating, harassment, intimidation, threats of punishment or deprivation, criticism, demeaning comments, coercive behavior, or isolation from family and friends.
Financial or Material Exploitation
Improper use of an elder's funds, property, or assets; cashing checks without permission; forging signatures; forcing or deceiving an older person into signing a document; using an ATM/debit card without permission.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is any form of non-consensual physical contact. It includes assault or battery, rape, sodomy, coerced nudity, or sexually explicit photographing.
Neglect and Self-Neglect
Neglect is the failure of a caregiver to fulfill his or her caregiving responsibilities. Self-neglect is when individuals fail to provide themselves with whatever is necessary to prevent physical or emotional harm or pain.
Physical signs may include cuts, puncture wounds, burns, bruises, welts, dehydration or malnutrition, poor coloration, sunken eyes or cheeks, soiled clothing or bed, or lack of necessities such as food, water, or utilities.
Behavioral signs may include fear, anxiety, agitation, anger, isolation, withdrawal, depression, non-responsiveness, resignation, ambivalence, contradictory statements, implausible stories, hesitation to talk openly, confusion, or disorientation.
Many of the indicators listed here can be explained by other causes (e.g., a bruise may be the result of an accidental fall), and no single indicator can be taken as conclusive proof. Rather, one should look for patterns or clusters of indicators that suggest a problem.
Physical Indicators
- Sprains, dislocations, fractures, or broken bones.
- Burns from cigarettes, appliances, or hot water.
- Abrasions on arms, legs, or torso that resemble rope or strap marks.
- Internal injuries evidenced by pain, difficulty with the normal functioning of organs, and bleeding from body orifices.
- Bruises. The following types of bruises are rarely accidental:
- Bilateral bruising to the arms (may indicate that the person has been shaken, grabbed, or restrained).
- Bilateral bruising of the inner thighs (may indicate sexual abuse).
- "Wrap-around" bruises that encircle an older person's arms, legs, or torso (may indicate that the person has been physically restrained).
- Multicolored bruises (indicating that they were sustained over time).
- Injuries healing through "secondary intention" (indicating that they did not receive appropriate care).
- Signs of traumatic hair and tooth loss.
Behavioral Indicators
- Injuries that are unexplained or explanations that are implausible (they do not "fit" with the injuries observed).
- Family members provide different explanations of how injuries were sustained.
- A history of similar injuries and/or numerous or suspicious hospitalizations.
- Victims are brought to different medical facilities for treatment to prevent medical practitioners from observing a pattern of abuse.
- Delay between onset of injury and seeking medical care.
Indicators are signs or clues that abuse has occurred. Physical indicators may include somatic changes or decline, while behavioral indicators are ways victims and abusers act or interact. Some of the indicators listed below can be explained by other causes, and no single indicator can be taken as conclusive proof. Rather, one should look for patterns or clusters of indicators that suggest a problem.
Physical Indicators
- Significant weight loss or gain that is not attributed to other causes.
- Stress-related conditions, including elevated blood pressure.
Behavioral Indicators
The perpetrator:
- Isolates the elder emotionally by not speaking to, touching, or comforting him or her.
The elder:
- Has problems sleeping.
- Exhibits depression and confusion.
- Cowers in the presence of abuser.
- Is emotionally upset, agitated, withdrawn, and non-responsive.
- Exhibits unusual behavior usually attributed to dementia (e.g., sucking, biting, rocking).
Indicators are signs or clues that abuse has occurred. Some of the indicators listed below can be explained by other causes or factors, and no single indicator can be taken as conclusive proof. Rather, one should look for patterns or clusters of indicators that suggest a problem.
- Unpaid bills, eviction notices, or notices to discontinue utilities.
- Withdrawals from bank accounts or transfers between accounts that the older person cannot explain.
- Bank statements and canceled checks no longer come to the elder's home.
- New "best friends."
- Legal documents, such as powers of attorney, which the older person didn't understand at the time he or she signed them.
- Unusual activity in the older person's bank accounts, including large, unexplained withdrawals, frequent transfers between accounts, or ATM withdrawals.
- The care of the elder is not commensurate with the size of his/her estate.
- A caregiver expresses excessive interest in the amount of money being spent on the older person.
- Belongings or property are missing.
- Suspicious signatures on checks or other documents.
- Absence of documentation about financial arrangements.
- Implausible explanations are given about the elderly person's finances by the elder or the caregiver.
- The elder is unaware of or does not understand financial arrangements that have been made for him or her.
Indicators are signs or clues that abuse has occurred. Physical indicators may include injuries or bruises, while behavioral indicators are ways victims and abusers act or interact with each other. Some of the indicators listed below can be explained by other causes (e.g., inappropriate or unusual behavior may signal dementia or drug interactions), and no single indicator can be taken as conclusive proof. Rather, one should look for patterns or clusters of indicators that suggest a problem.
Physical Indicators
- Genital or anal pain, irritation, or bleeding.
- Bruises on external genitalia or inner thighs.
- Difficulty walking or sitting.
- Torn, stained, or bloody underclothing.
- Sexually transmitted diseases.
Behavioral Indicators
- Inappropriate sex-role relationship between victim and suspect.
- Inappropriate, unusual, or aggressive sexual behavior.
Indicators are signs or clues that neglect has occurred. Indicators of neglect include the condition of the older person's home (environmental indicators), physical signs of poor care, and behavioral characteristics of the caregiver and/or older person. Some of the indicators listed below may not signal neglect but rather reflect lifestyle choices, lack of resources, or mental health problems, etc. One should look for patterns or clusters of indicators that suggest a problem.
Signs of Neglect Observed in the Home
- Absence of necessities including food, water, heat.
- Inadequate living environment evidenced by lack of utilities, sufficient space, and ventilation.
- Animal or insect infestations.
- Signs of medication mismanagement, including empty or unmarked bottles or outdated prescriptions.
- Housing is unsafe as a result of disrepair, faulty wiring, inadequate sanitation, substandard cleanliness, or architectural barriers.
Physical Indicators
- Poor personal hygiene including soiled clothing, dirty nails and skin, matted or lice-infested hair, odors, and the presence of feces or urine.
- Unclothed, or improperly clothed for weather.
- Decubiti (bedsores).
- Skin rashes.
- Dehydration evidenced by low urinary output, dry, fragile skin, dry, sore mouth, apathy, lack of energy, and mental confusion.
- Untreated medical or mental conditions, including infections, soiled bandages, and unattended fractures.
- Absence of needed dentures, eyeglasses, hearing aids, walkers, wheelchairs, braces, or commodes.
- Exacerbation of chronic diseases despite a care plan.
- Worsening dementia.
Behavioral Indicators
Observed in the caregiver/abuser:
- Expresses anger, frustration, or exhaustion.
- Isolates the elder from the outside world, friends, or relatives.
- Obviously lacks caregiving skills.
- Is unreasonably critical and/or dissatisfied with social and health care providers and changes providers frequently.
- Refuses to apply for economic aid or services for the elder and resists outside help.
Observed in the victim:
- Exhibits emotional distress such as crying, depression, or despair.
- Has nightmares or difficulty sleeping.
- Has had a sudden loss of appetite that is unrelated to a medical condition.
- Is confused and disoriented (this may be the result of malnutrition).
- Is emotionally numb, withdrawn, or detached.
- Exhibits regressive behavior.
- Exhibits self-destructive behavior.
- Exhibits fear toward the caregiver.
- Expresses unrealistic expectations about their care (e.g., claiming that their care is adequate when it is not or insisting that the situation will improve).
The National Center on Elder Abuse states that elder abuse is a widespread problem; possibly affecting hundreds of thousands of elderly people across the country. It is estimated that 1.5 to 1.84 million Americans fall victim to elder abuse each year.
Florida has 4.63 million residents, age 60, and older (U.S. Census, 2010). There were approximately 44,029 cases of alleged mistreatments against elders in Florida in 2010.