Protecting Your Family:  What Constitutes Elder Abuse and How You Can Help be Proactive in a Case

Elder abuse takes place more often than what many people imagine. In essence, this is far more than just abuse – it’s an issue of misplaced trust and heartbreak. Due to their declining health, the elderly are more vulnerable to being taken advantage of, so it’s important to keep a watchful eye on them to ensure that everything is all right. The following strategies will enable you to watch for signs of abuse as well as play an active role in elder abuse prevention:

Monitor their mental health

A single mood swing probably doesn’t signify a thing, but if they feel emotionless and unresponsive, perhaps even socially withdrawn, something more sinister might be going on and elder abuse is not out of the question.

Check for signs of financial exploitation

This is hard to do, since there aren’t really any telltale signs of it. What you can do, however, is get in touch with a lawyer who will establish all the preventative measures.

Notice their personal hygiene

Does it feel like they’re neglected? As it often happens, elder abuse victimsoften show signs of poor or improper personal hygiene. This might indicate unsanitary conditions of the nursing home they’re living in.

Visit them often

If you can’t visit the nursing home that often, make sure that you’re going to be in touch with them on a regular basis. All in all, the goal is to check up on them every so often to ensure they’re properly taken care of and that they’re not neglected in any way.

Make a background check if someone is suspicious

Sometimes, upon visiting the nursing home, a staff member will catch your eye. For whatever reason that might be, your internal alarm bells will start ringing, and you won’t be able to shake off the feeling that something might not be quite in order. Should this happen to you, make a criminal background check and see if that person was ever arrested or involved in a crime.

Know your rights and act on them

Remaining passive is just about the worst thing you can do if you suspect something might be going on. As soon as you notice any signs that suggest anything of the like (or if you’ve identified one of the caregivers as fraudulent or abusive), do not wait around in hopes that the problem will go away on its own. Rather, you should be playing an active role an get in touch with an attorney who will help guide you.

Take them in if need be

If the circumstances allow for it, it might be a good idea to take care of the elderly person you love for for the time being, or at least until things get cleared up. In case you’re doing this based on suspicion alone, monitor if their condition has improved as a result of you taking them in and caring for them.

Conclusion

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to take a proactive approach in caring for a loved one’s wellbeing, no matter where they are. By being on your guard and remaining observant at all times, you can spot and prevent a disaster before it gets out of hand.