How To Avoid Elder Care Abuse & Neglect. Senior Home Healthcare & Assisted Living Tips In California

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We all want life to get better even when we age. But at some point we start to slip. Our eye sight and memory aren´t what they used to be and we slow down. It is often painful to watch our loved ones in this position. Sometimes assistance needs to be brought in, or changes need to be made to living arrangements. These changes can lead to senior abuse & neglect. So, what is senior abuse & neglect? Abuse & neglect are depriving an individual of any basic rights which are protected by the state or federal law. To understand how these abuses can be brought on we need to understand how our elderly can be abused and neglected in different facets and stages of life. In some cases our elderly loved ones can be responsible for their own neglect or abuse. We have listed the five areas we need to identify as the most obvious areas of abuse our senior community will face.

• Neglect

Neglect is a problem many in our elderly community may be facing today. What is neglect? Neglect is when the personal needs of an individual are not being met in some form or fashion. In many cases a senior may be left alone to care for themselves when they do not have the mental or physical capacity to do so. Family members may not be checking in with their loved ones often enough and proper care is not being given. The senior may not be getting: proper nutrition, clean clothing, proper hygiene, etc. All of these are forms of neglect and abuse. With the proper care, these issues can be resolved.

• Financial/Material Abuse

Financial and material abuse occurs when there is a misappropriation or exploitation of the senior´s money or possessions. Situations where family members or friends use the senior´s funds without permission purchasing things that do not benefit the senior, may in fact be deemed abuse. Taking items from the home of the senior without permission could also be viewed as abuse. There have been many stories reported on where a child or sibling misappropriated a senior´s funds for their own purpose. When permission is not granted, this is never appropriate behavior and is a form of abuse.

• Physical and Psychological Abuse

Physical and psychological are two types of abuse that seniors may face on a day to day basis. Physical abuse is where someone inflicts physical or emotional harm to the senior. This may include, slapping, hitting, or using unwanted physical restraints. While physical abuse is much more obvious to detect, psychological abuse may actually be even more harmful to the senior. What constitutes psychological abuse? Psychological abuse can be defined as: verbally demeaning language, verbal threats, isolation, etc. It is never appropriate to threaten a senior verbally or physically.

• Isolation

As life´s experiences decrease, so does our social support, life satisfaction, & interaction with others. Isolation is a risk for all different types of elder abuse. Intervention requires creating trust, increased involvement in community, family and social groups.

• Abandonment

Abandonment is as simple as knowingly leaving the senior without the care they need possibly endangering their life.

We need to be aware of these 5 forms of abuse, when we are concerned about the well being of your loved ones. In some cases our elderly loved ones can be responsible for their own neglect or abuse. Becoming more involved with your elderly loved one can increase the opportunity for a more rewarding association for both the provider and the receiver. This direct interaction is the key to relieving neglect. Another avenue of support is to have a California senior caregiver come in and help to resolve isolation and depression issues. Sometimes having a third party caregiver come in to help fill the gaps is often the best option to keep our seniors lives social and full of activities. If any type of physical, psychological, or financial abuse is discovered the government has an agency set up to protect the elderly. Adult Protective Services should be notified if any type of abuse is discovered. They are dedicated to helping the senior community, by watching out for their unique needs. You can reach Adult Protective Services by calling 1-800-491-7123.

For more information and to find the right family owned and operated home healthcare agency for your elderly parents, visit our website www.sensibleseniorhomecare.com or call 1-800-288-5720.