Resources for Seniors

 
 

The senior population is defined as those ages 65 and older. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, between 1 and 2 million seniors are victims of crimes. This population is at an increased risk of victimization due to a number of reasons including:

Family stress

Social isolation

Personal problems of the caregiver

Marital stress

Financial burden

Vulnerability/Dependency.

Statistics show many times victims are female, over 75 years old and dependant on a spouse, relative or friend to provide care, food and shelter. The abuser is likely to be a spouse or adult child who lives in the same house and is responsible for providing care to the senior.

Elder abuse includes any of the following:

Physical abuse

Sexual abuse

Emotional or psychological abuse

Neglect

Abandonment

Financial or material exploitation

Self-neglect

Consumer scams

Physical abuse: the use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, pain or impairment including hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, shaking, slapping, kicking, pinching, burning, physical punishment or force-feeding. Signs of physical abuse include:

Unexplained bruises, cuts or marks

Fractures

Swelling

Welts or pain

Sunken eyes

Sexual abuse: any non-consensual contact with a senior. This can include unwanted touching, sexual assault, rape, sodomy, coerced nudity and sexually explicit photographing. If you suspect sexual abuse, look for:

Bruises around the breasts and genital area

Unexplained venereal disease or genital infections

Unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding

Torn, stained or bloody underclothing

A senior's self-report of being sexually assaulted or raped

Emotional or Psychological abuse: the infliction of anguish, pain or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts such as verbal assaults, insults, intimidation, humiliation, or harassment. A senior who is emotional or psychological abused may be:

Emotionally upset or easily agitated

Withdrawn and non-communicative or non-responsive

Depressed

Passive

Afraid

Guilty

Hesitant to speak openly

Denying problems

Showing unusual behavior (biting or rocking)

Reporting abuse

Neglect: intentionally failing to care for a senior who cannot care for himself or herself. This may also include the failure to pay for or provide necessary home care services. Look for:

Dehydration, malnutrition, bed sores, poor hygiene

Weight loss

Untreated health problems

Unsafe living conditions

Unsanitary and unclean living conditions

Not providing necessary medication

Over medicating

Abandonment: the desertion of a senior by a caregiver. These symptoms may include:

Desertion of a senior at a hospital or nursing facility

Desertion of a senior in a public place

Financial or Material Exploitation: taking advantage of and misusing the financial resources of a senior. Look for:

Unexplained changes in banking accounts or unusually large transactions

Forged signatures on bank documents

Unexplained transfer of money or assets to caregiver

Unpaid bills

Overcharging for goods or services

Missing property and/or money/checks

Self-neglect: those who are able to make a conscious decision to engage in behaviors that may be harmful to oneself. This includes:

Refusal or failure to provide adequate food, water and shelter to oneself

Unsafe living conditions

Inadequate clothing

Lack of proper medical necessities

Consumer Scams: can include sweepstakes offerings, which promise winnings only if something is purchased. These scams also include request for donations from companies that cannot identify their credential, and credit repair scams. Please see personal safety tips for more information about consumer scams and ways to protect yourself.

National Elder Abuse Statistics

Between 1 and 2 million Americans aged 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care and protection.

1 in 14 incidents excluding incidents of self-neglects are brought to the attention of the authorities.

Financial exploitation accounts for 1 in every 25 elder abuse cases, making 5 million victims of financial abuse. Many of these cases go unreported.

Pennsylvania ranks fifth nationally in the number of reported cases of elder abuse. This is partly due to Pennsylvania's overwhelming population of 1,912,200 men and women over 65.

Adult children are the largest perpetrators of elder abuse committing 47.3% of these crimes. Spouses contribute to 19.3% of the incidents; relatives commit 8.8% of abuse, and grandchildren 8.6%.

Males are more likely to be perpetrators of physical abuse. Women are more likely to be perpetrators of neglect and financial abuse.

Spousal homicide accounts for 30% of murders of women over the age of 65.

Click here for the Senior Brochure

 

References: The National Center for Victims of Crime; National Clearinghouse on Family Violence; National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA); National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse

 

 

 

 

 

 

Produced by Community Advocates for Family & Youth.  The hosting of this website was made possible by the support by Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice.  Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U. S. Department of Justice.