Elder abuse is far more prevalent than most of us realize. And because of that, the odds are that a good number of the people that read this article will know someone who has been abused, even if they don’t have direct knowledge of the abuse that occurred. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there that have had terrible experiences. And even if we don’t know about the abuse that happened, we still need to act in a way that will be helpful to those that have been hurt.
Speak with love and compassion to the people in your life. Listen to them and take their cares and concerns seriously. Sometimes just spending time with someone is more than enough to show them that they are cared about. Love can cover a whole lot of wrongs that someone has experienced in their life. Luckily, this is something that we all have. And it’s something that we can learn to share with those around us with a bit more helpfulness. When it comes to seniors that have been abused, this is a valuable trait to have.
We can help those that have experienced abuse on a personal level, but that’s not the only place where seniors can get help. The legal system, law enforcement, and governmental authorities also have an influence in how those who have experienced abuse can get help. Each situation is different and should be handled as such, but some communities are taking big strides to help senior citizens in this area.
Oftentimes, family members or trusted friends are involved, making testifying in a court an emotionally difficult barrier to justice being served. After all, what mom wants to say that her son threatened her? What grandfather wants to admit that his grandchildren have stolen money from him? Abuse is tough to talk about, and because of that, so many cases go unreported each year. We have estimates of how prevalent elder abuse is but the truth is, we won’t really know just how often it occurs.
To combat this, some parts of the U.S. are putting together multidisciplinary teams to get a handle on helping those that have been impacted by abuse. This involves law enforcement, but it goes a bit deeper than this. Other agencies involved in the process can include financial professionals, housing experts, and healthcare specialists. The goal isn’t just to punish the people that are abusing the older population, but rather to take holistic steps to protect those who have been impacted from ever being in such a situation again.
Is this a perfect solution? Not at all. It’s also not the only way to help those who have suffered. However, it’s one of the many things that can be done to help victims of abuse. With a problem like this, no one solution is going to work for everyone. Unique methods of thinking and alternative solutions are always welcome. Someone is going to benefit from this multidisciplinary approach to preventing further problems can likely help someone who has never considered such an approach.
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