3 Unfortunate Types of Elder Abuse That Can Take the Joy Out of a Senior’s Retirement

We all get old. And when we do, many of us will need to rely on the care and support of family, caregivers, or even an institution for memory care. While many elderly dependents are given the proper attention and respect that they deserve, others are treated so badly it’s considered criminal.

Elder abuse can be devastating to both the abused and their family. A person who is charged with elder abuse can face serious consequences under the legal system, but not every type of abuse is the same. Elder abuse can include a variety of different types of abuse, most notably the ones listed below.

Physical Abuse
When most people think of elder abuse, they usually think of physical suffering. This type of elder abuse is any use of physical force against a senior that results in injury or pain. The types of force can be things such as hitting, kicking, striking, slapping, sexual touching, burning, pinching, pushing, beating, and so on. However, these aren’t the only aspects of physical abuse. Other possible types of physical elder abuse can be force-feeding, inappropriate and excessive use of drugs and/or restraints, or even holding someone against their will. Even grabbing a senior too tightly with the intent to harm or command could be considered physical abuse.

Emotional Abuse
This type of elder abuse is typically an act that causes the senior intense emotional distress and/or pain. Emotional abuse can be in the form of verbal assaults, threats, humiliation, intimidation, insults, and degradation. While emotional abuse is typically verbal, it can also be non-verbal actions such as isolating the senior from friends and family. An elder abuse attorney will be able to find facts that help prove emotional abuse.

Neglect
When you place your loved one in the care of another person or institution, you expect he or she to be provided for. However, sometimes these caregiving entities fail to do their duty and your loved one goes without the needed care and support. This can result in a decline in health and cognitive functioning, bed sores, and in extreme cases, life threatening illness. Caregiver/institution neglect can be either active or passive. Active neglect is when the caregiver intentionally deprives the senior of the needed care, and passive neglect is when the caregiver is unable to provide the care for any reason. Nursing home neglect or individual caregiver neglect can result in severe penalties.

Elder abuse is an unfortunate circumstance for anyone to be in, and one out of every 10 U.S. seniors will endure some form of abuse. Nobody deserves to be treated poorly, especially in their later years. That is why elder abuse is extremely punishable by law, and if you suspect that your loved one is being harmed, you should contact the police and an elder abuse attorney immediately. An elder abuse lawyer will be able to help you and your loved one with the prosecuting the offenders in a court of law.

Don’t wait, call the elder abuse attorney San Diego can rely on — Stipp Law.