TYPES
OF ELDER ABUSE
There
are various types, signs, and degrees
of institutional abuse and elderly
abuse inside and outside of nursing
homes.
General
Neglect
General neglect by nursing home staff
or the individual who has custody
of an elder is the most prevalent
type of elder abuse. Neglect occurs
when any associated nursing home staff
or related healthcare professional
does not fulfilling their stated duty
to a resident. This includes general
care, taking them to the restroom,
financial neglect (not paying bills).
Most serious is not providing proper
necessities such as food, water, shelter,
hygiene, medicine, safety, and other
items that are reasonably understood
to be necessary for living. This can
include:
Failure
to assist in providing adequate personal
hygiene or clothing
Failure
to provide proper medical care, medicine,
or physical or mental care. (This
is exempted in cases where the elder
refuses such care.)
Failure
to protect the health and safety of
an elder.
Physical
signs of Elder Neglect
- Sores
or rashes on the body
- A
smell of urine or fecal matter on
elder’s body, in their room or other
living area
- Safety
and/or health hazards are evident
in elder’s living area
- Elder
has an untreated medical condition
- Obvious
malnutrition
- Elder
is excessively dehydrated
- Inadequately
clothed
Physical
Abuse
Physical
abuse by a nursing home staff or custodian
is the second most common from of
elder care abuse. Exactly what constitutes
physical abuse is defined by each
state and jurisdiction. Physical abuse
occurs when someone uses physical
force to willfully inflict bodily
injury, harm, pain, or damage to an
elderly person. Examples of physical
abuse include some of the following:
- Hitting
- Striking
- Pushing
- Shoving
- Burning
- Slapping
- Kicking
- Unduly
restraining
- Restraints
for an excessive period of time
- Inappropriate
or excessive drugging
- Forcing
residents to eat or drink
- Depriving
residents of food or drink
Signs
of Physical Abuse
- Bruises,
welts, or discoloration on the face
or body
- Bedsores
(skin ulcers, pressure sores, decubitus
ulcers, dermal ulcers, or pressure
ulcers)
- Puncture
wounds, cuts, scratches, lacerations
- Scared
or fearful attitude of resident
to a particular staff member
- Reluctance
of resident to explain burns, wounds,
bruises, etc.
- Soiled
clothing, bed, or living area
- Untreated
or cared for medical problems
- Bodily
problems not compatible with resident’s
history
- Burns
on the body (commonly from cigarettes,
ropes, restraints, etc.)
- Significant
weight loss (in absence of illness)
- Noticeable
dehydration (in absence of illness)
- Noticeable
malnutrition
- Significant
skin problems
- Poor
skin condition or poor skin hy
- Bleeding
or hemorrhaging below scalp
top
Sexual
Abuse
Sexual abuse is perhaps the most egregious
of all acts perpetrated by nursing
home staff and custodians upon elders.
Sexual abuse occurs when any individual
engages in nonconsensual sexual contact
of any kind with an elderly person.
Sexual abuse has also occurred when
sexual contact occurs with an elderly
person who is unable to give consent.
This can include, but is not limited
to:
- Coerced
sex
- Coerced
nudity
- Touching
in a sexual manner
- Rape
- Sodomy
- Sexual
assault or battery
- Rape
- Sexually
explicit photographing
- Pornography
Signs
of Sexual Abuse
- Inappropriate
display of affection by staff member
- Flirtation
or coyness directed to a particular
resident
top
Psychological
or Emotional Abuse
Psychological or emotional abuse occurs
when a nursing home staff or custodian
willfully inflicts mental and psychological
pain, anguish, distress or suffering
towards an elder individual using
verbal or nonverbal acts. Emotional/psychological
abuse includes but is not limited
to:
- Verbal
insults
- Intimidation
- Threatening
physical violence
-
Threatening coerced sex or sexual-related
- Humiliating
elders
- Harassing
elders
- Insulting
elders
- Isolated
an elder from relatives, friends,
and others
- Giving
an elder the silent treatment
- Treating
an older person like an infant
Signs
of Psychological/Emotional Abuse
- Confusion
- Unwarranted
anger
- Depression
without illness
- Agitated
state
- Unusual
silence or sulleness
- Helplessness
- Hesitation
to talk openly
- Implausible
stories
- Confusion
or disorientation
- Denial
- Fear
- Withdrawal
symptoms
top
Abandonment
Abandonment occurs when a custodian
of an elderly individual willfully
abandons or deserts them in an instance
when a reasonable person would continue
to provide care of custody. In the
act of desertion, the elderly individual
is deprived of important needs such
as food, water, hygiene, etc.
Signs
of Abandonment
An
elder alone, confused, and apparently
with no one with them at a hospital,
a nursing facility, or similar institution.
An
elder at a shopping center or other
public location.
An
elder reporting that they were deserted
by their caretaker.
top
Financial
Exploitation
Financial exploitation occurs when
an individual who controls the finances
of an elder exploits their position
and irresponsibly or inappropriately
use money, funds, property, or assets
that are intended for use by an elder.
Examples include but are not limited
to:
- Not
paying bills on time
- Using,
stealing, or misusing money or possessions
for their own use
- Cashing
an elder’s checks without permission
- Forging
an elder's signature
- Abusing
their power of attorney for their
personal gain
- Deceiving
an elder into signing a will, contract,
or document
Signs
of Financial Abuse
- Resident
has no awareness of their financial
affairs. Not aware of how their
money or assets are being handled.
- Resident’s
rent is often overdue. Other bills
are late or are unpaid.
- Noticeable
difference between known material
status of resident and appearance
(clothing, material possessions,
etc.).
- Inappropriate
activity of bank accounts
- Signatures
on checks do not resemble the older
person's signature, or signed when
older person cannot write
- Recent
changes to will for a resident who
is unable to make such a decision.
- Caregiver
concerned that too much money is
being used to provide resident with
care and services.
top
Signs
of Abuse by Staff
The
following signs should be indicators
that neglect, abuse, exploitation,
mistreatment or less-than-adequate
nursing home care is being perpetrated
by a caretaker or nursing home staff.
- Resentment
by staff towards elder
- Elder
not allowed to visit friends or
speak without staff member present
- Aggressive
behavior by staff member towards
elder
- Staff
member has a history of suspected
abuse
- Staff
member is addicted to, or has had
a bad history with, alcohol or drugs
- Seems
often absent from duties towards
residents
- Staff
or caregiver is indifferent or displays
anger towards elder
- Caregiver
and resident/family/friend gives
different account of injuries, incidents,
etc.
- Caregiver
of staff is inexplicably defensive
over actions towards residents or
elders
- Staff
or caregiver actively works to isolate
resident
- Caregiver
reluctant to provide resident with
needs or resident medical plan
top
Risk
Factors for Elderly
- Verbally
abusive
- Hostile
- Threatening
language
- Derogatory
language
- Demanding
of services
- Intrusive
- Manipulative
- History
of substance abuse
- Sexual
acting out
- Incontinent
- Passive
aggressive behavior
- Deaf
or mute
- History
of multiple incidents of any of
the above
- Incompetent,
organic brain syndrome (OBS), demented
Employee
Risk Factors
- Alcohol/drug
abuse
- Aggressive
or physical behavior
- Family
problems/history of family violence
- Financial
problems
- Rivalry
issues
- Inadequately
trained
- Mental
problems
- Past
disciplinary actions
- Excessive
absenteeism
- Looking
to resident to fulfill their
needs
- Social
isolation
Facility
Risk Factors for Facility
- Insufficient
staff training
- Less
than adequate maintenance on structures.
- Excessive
demands on staff
- Insufficient
staff
- Poorly
paid staff
- Accepting
residents whose needs cannot be
met by facility
- Crowding/concentration
of vulnerable adults
- High
employee absenteeism
- Staff
duties not properly defined
- Poor
response to alleged incidence of
abuse
- High
personnel turnover
CONTACT
US top
|
