June 15th is recognized as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. This day of recognition was launched in 2006 and focuses on increasing the awareness of what elder abuse is, what it looks like, and helps to point toward a solution to keep seniors safe. This day was brought about by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly.
And while the day is officially recognized on June 15th, it’s a concept that should always be on our minds. No one deserves to go through abuse, regardless of what that abuse is. No one deserves to live in fear of what might happen next.
We each have a responsibility to those around us. When it comes to family members, that responsibility is even more heightened. It can be difficult to prevent abuse if you’re not aware of what abuse actually is, and what the warning signs of it might be.
This topic has been covered several times on the blog before, but it’s always good to review once in a while, especially on a day like this. If you’re interested in learning more about elder abuse and how to prevent it, you can read past blogs here and here.
For now, it’s important to know that elder abuse isn’t just physical. It can also be sexual, neglect, financial, or emotional. Abuse isn’t necessarily about hurting someone, but exerting control over them. It can be done intentionally or unintentionally.
Sometimes, the signs of abuse can be really easy to spot. Bruises or broken bones that can’t be explained. Fear when mention of a certain person or situation is mentioned. But the signs aren’t always this obvious. In fact, a senior might not even know that abuse is occurring. Things like financial abuse are sometimes done secretly. Having a trained professional on your side that can keep an eye on things and help ensure that safety is a top priority can go a long way toward preventing or detecting these things.
It’s important to note that these signs don’t necessarily confirm that abuse has occurred. Rather, they are warning signs that tell only a portion of the story. If you are suspicious that elder abuse is occurring, it’s important to notify the authorities in order to get a more complete picture and so that any responsible person can be held accountable.
If you’re interested in learning more about in-home care and how we can help reduce instances of abuse, we’re happy to talk. This is one of the things that we often address during our free consultation sessions. If you’d like to set up a conversation, we’re happy to help, with no obligation on your end. We know that care is stressful. But we take the work that we do seriously and we don’t believe anyone should enter into any sort of care blindly. The more that you know about senior care and how it might fit in with your family’s needs, the more likely you are to get connected to the ideal care for what you’re looking for. The more like care is going to help your family meet your needs and avoid issues.
Give us a call today if you’d like to talk.
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