Whether you trust your elderly loved one to live in a nursing home, with a caregiver, or at home alone, you always worry about their well-being. Even if you visit regularly or talk to them daily, it can be difficult to know if your loved one is truly being taken care of and just as importantly, that no one is taking advantage of them. Sadly, there are many ways elders can fall victim to abuse. While it is not possible to prevent all forms of elder abuse, you can educate yourself on the warning signs.
Keep in mind though that signs of elder abuse are often difficult to recognize. In some cases, warning signs may be mistaken for a mental condition like dementia or Alzheimer’s or the elder’s overall frail health. Signs come into two main forms, physical or concrete and behavioral. Sometimes, behavioral signs may be present before physical signs, but every type of abuse usually consists of both physical signs and behavioral changes. Sometimes a sign has both behavioral and physical components. The following are the signs you should keep watch out for each type of elder abuse:
Physical Abuse
- Look for: bruises (often in clusters), broken bones, welts, scars, cuts, and any injury that is unexplained or the explanation seems suspect. Other signs include medication schedule not being followed or of a medication overdose.
- Watch for: sudden changes in elder’s behavior such as depression, anxiety, fear, or nervousness. Also common is an elder or caregiver refusing visitors for the elder or the caregiver wanting to be in the room while visitors are present. Psychosomatic symptoms are also common, such as complaints of headaches for women and stomachaches for men. Elder may also complain of trouble sleeping or have an unusual reaction to being touched or receiving physical affection.
Emotional Abuse
- Look for: thumb sucking, rocking, or even biting are possible even though emotional abuse typically does not have any physical markers.
- Watch for: tension between the caregiver and elder or caregiver acting in a belittling, threatening, or intimidating manner. Elder may become agitated, moody, depressed, or become withdrawn. An elder may also speak of abuse.
Sexual Abuse
- Look for: bruising around the breasts or genitals, sexually transmitted diseases or infections, unexplained anal or vaginal bleeding. Look for evidence of ripped or stained clothing or underwear.
- Watch for: sudden changes in personality and refusal of visitors — the behavioral changes of sexual abuse or often similar to that of physical abuse.
Neglect
- Look for: elder appearing dirty, malnourished or suffering from unexplained weight loss; having suffered unexplained falls or accidents; the appearance of bedsores or untreated wounds; living conditions appear unsafe or unclean; untreated injuries or illnesses; and dehydration.
- Watch for: behaviors similar to physical abuse.
Financial Abuse
- Look for: caregiver’s name on accounts, missing money or valuables, large withdrawals from accounts, or unusual spending.
- Watch for: elder being more suspicious when he or she used to be more trusting. Financial abuse can occur with other forms of abuse, so be on the lookout for those signs as well.
If you suspect that your loved one has been the victim of elder abuse, you will want to speak with an experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney right away. The Personal Injury and Elder Abuse Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. have experience in elder abuse cases around the area, including both in Kansas and Missouri. To speak with an attorney about the harm you suspect is being done to your loved one, contact our office at (816) 472-4673 to schedule a consultation. At Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. we will fight to protect your rights.