Many reports that confront the issue of elder abuse focus mainly on the legal side of things. Some go into preventative measures and act to inform families and raise awareness about what they can do to help the people that they love stay safe from predatory and neglectful acts of abuse. While these are definitely important components of helping to end elder abuse, there is one side of the issue that is sadly overlooked. That is the impact that abuse of any sort has on the health of the victim.
Elder abuse takes many forms. It can be physical, psychological, sexual, financial, or neglectful, to name a few of the most commonly occurring forms. In the end, the result is always the same: someone who is vulnerable and in a position where they need to be trusting of others is taken advantage of and victimized for the gain of someone else.
Putting aside the immorality of such an act for a few minutes, think about what your situation would be if something like this had occurred to you and you were powerless to do anything about it. You would need help, either medically, financially, psychologically, or a combination of all of these things. And you might not have the resources or the ability to seek those things out on your own.
As family members, one of the things that we can do is to know what needs will exist if something like this were to occur and help our loved one to get the assistance that they need for recovery. This will involve doctors’ visits, maybe counseling, and maybe financial assistance of some sort. It will likely involve legal action, too. Helping your family member live a happy and healthy life is the main goal of senior care of any sort, after all. If this aspect of dealing with elder abuse is ignored, then the goals that you originally had for your parent’s care are being missed.
Victims of senior abuse are more likely to be emotionally and physically hurting, and studies say that these individuals die at a younger age than others–even if their abuse was not of a physical form. This speaks volumes about the negative impact that this crime has on the people that we love.
Preventative measures should always be in place beforehand. For example, if you are hiring an in-home care service to help your mom or dad with their activities of daily living, be sure that the service conducts background checks on all of their employees. Having caregivers insured and bonded can also help to relieve some of the worries that you have about abuse.
Nobody wants to be in a situation like this, and I sincerely hope that you never find yourself needing to think about elder abuse. But if you do, please know that there are resources out there beyond legal ones. Your parent will need help, and getting them in touch with that help is one of the most important things that you can do.
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