Elder abuse has become a serious problem in the United States. Understanding what elder abuse is, how to sport it, and what to do if you suspect is an important step towards stopping elder abuse in the US.

What is Elder Abuse?

Elder abuse is classified as the abuse of an individual of retirement age or older. Abuse can occur to individuals living in nursing facilities, hospitals or in their own residence. There is a long list of types of elder abuse, the most common being: financial, physical, verbal and neglectful.

Financial Abuse: Financial abuse is the act of illegally accessing an elderly person's financial assets, or taking their personal property, this also including convincing an elderly individual to change his or her Will for the financial gain or loss of another person.

Physical Abuse: Physical abuse includes causing any harm to an elderly person by pushing, pulling or hitting them. One type of abuse that can generally only be proved with video surveillance is purposely tripping an elderly individual but making the claim that it was accidental, this can lead to serious hip fractures, a broken pelvis and several other types of injuries.

Verbal Abuse: Verbal abuse occurs when an individual threatens an elderly person with harm.

Neglect: Neglect occurs when a caretaker or nursing home does not provide proper food, clothing or shelter to an elderly person or does not adequately help them maintain their hygiene or take necessary medication.

Looking for Signs

Finding signs of elder abuse is often difficult, especially if you're not looking out for signs. To determine if your friend or loved one is a victim of elder abuse, look for changes in their behavior especially around their caregivers. Look for signs of neglect such as unusually poor hygiene or unexplained weight loss. If your loved one is mentally capable, always ask them if you suspect anything, if not consult other nursing home residents or visitors of others in the home they are living in if possible.

How to Act

If you see that elder abuse is occurring or has happened to someone you know, you need to notify the police immediately. You will also need to notify your loved one or the family of your loved ones and have them hire a personal injury attorney, this is especially important if the abusing individual is a large nursing home. Once you have made these calls, immediately start looking for a new place of residence for the elderly individual who fell victim to the abuse.