Every year, thousands of our elderly are abused and these numbers are steadily rising. This abuse may come from care takers or even by their relatives. As a person ages, their body and mind becomes more frail, leaving them susceptible to experiencing this sort of abuse by the ones who are supposed to be taking care of them; not hurting them.

Elderly abuse can be both mental and or physical abuse. Physical abuse may include shoving, hitting, becoming too forceful with a senior's aging body, not changing their under clothing, sexual abuse, and not providing a sufficient amount of food or water. Symptoms of abuse may include unexplained bruises, bed sores, cuts, hip fractures, broken bones, and weight loss.

Mental abuse may not show many symptoms, however psychological abuse may be in the form of intimidation, neglect, blame, and menacing. Symptoms you should keep an eye out for may include depression, or a difference in their personality such as not speaking as much as they used to.

An elderly person who has been abused may feel too ashamed to speak up about the abuse, or perhaps they are not capable of telling the proper person in charge what is going on. They may also be scared that if they tell someone that they are being mistreated, the repercussions will be worse. Many times, they cannot speak for themselves; therefore it is your responsibility to keep an eye out for any of these symptoms.

Personal injury attorneys are available to help you deal with abuse that your family or loved one is experiencing by contacting the proper authorities. The abuse may be difficult to prove, however if you feel that your loved one may be in danger of being abused, don't wait until it's too late.

Take the right steps to stop the abuse and prevent another senior from suffering from neglect or abuse and living in constant fear by contacting an elderly abuse lawyer as soon as you suspect that someone is being mistreated.