Help stop elder abuse
By Robert P. Dean
The abuse and neglect of older persons continues to be under-recognized, and as a result many instances of elder abuse are not reported. Elder Abuse is defined as “an act or omission which results in serious physical or emotional injury to an elder” and may include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, caretaker neglect, self-neglect, or financial exploitation. An elder is defined as any individual age 60 or older.
According to a nationwide survey conducted by the National Center on Elder Abuse, self-neglect was the most common type of abuse investigated, followed by caregiver neglect, and financial exploitation. The survey also reports that 65% of elder abuse victims were female, and that almost 43% of all victims were over the age of 80. According to the report, 52% of all alleged perpetrators were female, with the most common perpetrator being an adult child.
Here in Berkshire County, our Protective Services program provides assistance to seniors who are victims of self-neglect, or of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation by another. Our Protective Services staff works with the senior to stop the abuse and to prevent a reoccurrence. We recognize a senior’s right to self-determination and to choose to accept or reject intervention. Interventions can include in-home and community-based services, advocacy, legal supportive services, and social and economic supports. In certain cases involving financial exploitation, our Money Management program may be able to help.
In regards to elder abuse and what to look for, physical signs may include unexplained cuts, bruises, puncture wounds, burns or welts, or injuries that have not been properly cared for. Additional physical signs may include dehydration or malnutrition without an illness-related cause, soiled clothing, inappropriate medication administration, or forced isolation. Behavioral signs of elder abuse include fear, anxiety, withdrawal, confusion, disorientation, depression, and a reluctance to talk openly.
Typically, the abuser is someone the victim knows. In some instances an abuser may be the victim’s caregiver. Signs of caregiver abuse may include a caregiver who offers conflicting accounts regarding an elder’s injuries; who displays anger, indifference, or aggressive behavior towards the elder; or, who tries to prevent the elder from speaking to or seeing visitors, including friends and family members. Mental health and substance abuse issues among an elder’s family members, particularly caregivers, also contribute to elder abuse and financial exploitation.
Signs of financial exploitation may include frequent expensive gifts from an elder to a caregiver, multiple or large sums of cash removed from an elder’s bank account, unusual activity on a bank account, frequent checks made out to “cash,” numerous unpaid bills, and missing checks, credit cards, or personal belongings. Additional signs of financial exploitation may include an elder who is refinancing a mortgage or taking out a loan at the direction of another - especially if he or she is being told they need to act quickly, or a recently created will which the elder may not seem capable of having written.
Self-neglect is a failure or refusal by an elder to provide for one or more of his/her essential needs such as food, clothing, shelter, personal care, or medical care. We are seeing an increased number of reports of elders with mental health issues. In many cases, these elders are undiagnosed, untreated, and not connected to the mental health system and the supports it offers. We are also seeing an increased number of reports of substance abuse - particularly of alcohol - among seniors. Reports of hoarding (which is defined as an excessive accumulation of unnecessary items such as newspapers, clothing, unusable household items, and even garbage) have also increased. Hoarding, alcohol abuse, and mental health issues can lead to unsafe, even hazardous living conditions.
In addition to our Protective Services program, Elder Services offers Enhanced Elder Intervention, a program unique to Berkshire County, which provides intensive, short-term, solution-focused casework for elders who are at the beginning stages of self-neglect and are having difficulty meeting their needs in the community. The Enhanced Elder Intervention program provides a “safety net” for fragile Berkshire elders, who do not fall within the scope of any other existing program’s services, and who are often reluctant to accept the help they need to remain independent.
If you know a senior who may be a victim of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation by another, or who is self-neglecting, please contact Elder Services. We need your eyes and ears to help stop elder abuse. Your call will be confidential, and you do not need to give your name. The telephone numbers for Elder Services are 499-0524 and 1-800-544-5242.
Robert P. Dean is Executive Director of Elder Services.
