Elder Abuse
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 8:41 AM EDT
It’s not a pleasant thought, but abuse of the elderly happens all too often. The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) in Washington, D.C., estimates that between 1 and 2 million Americans age 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depend for care and protection.
Abuse may occur in the person’s home or an institutional setting. The NCEA defines seven types of elder abuse:
Physical abuse - Use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment.
Sexual abuse - Non-consensual sexual contact of any kind.
Emotional abuse - Infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or non-verbal acts.
Financial/material exploitation - Illegal or improper use of an elder’s funds, property, or assets.
Neglect - Refusal, or failure, to fulfill any part of a person’s obligations or duties to an elderly person.
Abandonment - Desertion of an elderly person by an individual who has physical custody of the elder or by a person who has assumed responsibility for providing care to the elder.
Self-neglect - Behaviors of an elderly person that threaten his or her health and safety.
For more indepth descriptions of these abuses as well as signs and symptoms, check out these websites:
HYPERLINK http://www.ncea.aoa.gov www.ncea.aoa.gov - National Center on Elder Abuse
HYPERLINK http://www.aging.state.pa.us www.aging.state.pa.us - Pennsylvania Department of Aging
HYPERLINK http://www.helpguide.org www.helpguide.org - Maintained by the Santa Monica Rotary Club and the Center for Healthy Aging
Pennsylvania law provides that older adults who lack the capacity to protect themselves and are at imminent risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment shall have access to services to protect their health, safety, and assets. Locally, these protective services are provided through the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) of Somerset County, 1338 S. Edgewood Ave., Somerset.
If you have reasonable cause to believe that an older adult is being abused, get help for him or her. Just call one of these numbers (your report will be kept confidential): Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.): 1-800-452-0825 or 1-814-443-2681. Evenings, holidays, or weekends: 1-800-452-0218 or 814-443-3639.
SOURCE: DailyAmerican
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