| Maltreatment of Older Adults |
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| Wednesday, 14 October 2009 00:00 |
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Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine exactly how prevalent abuse of older Americans is, partly because there are no official national statistics or tracking system, and the problem remains greatly hidden (data suggests that only 1 in 14 incidents of abuse in domestic settings come to the attention of authorities). The best current estimates indicate that between 1 and 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have been “injured, exploited or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care of protection.” Maltreatment can be physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, and financial or material exploitation. For more information about the various types of abuse and their warning signs, please visit the National Center on Elder Abuse. |
JPIC Corner October 2009
Some Signs of Abuse or Neglect
Bruises, welts, lacerations, broken bones and bone fractures, broken eyeglasses
Internal injuries/bleeding, open wounds, untreated injuries, sprains and dislocations
A caregiver's refusal to allow visitors to see an older person alone
Dehydration, untreated bed sores, untreated health problems, malnutrition
Being emotionally upset or agitated