Elderly Patient Abuse

Elderly patient abuse by medical professionals is a commonplace problem that is easy to miss. Many people don’t even understand what it entails.

You want to keep reading this article to learn more about what patient abuse is, its consequences, the main signs, and, above all, how you can prevent an elderly loved one from becoming a victim.

What is elderly patient abuse?

Elderly patient abuse occurs when a caregiver or medical professional intentionally acts (or refuses to act) in a way that harms an older adult or puts them at risk.

For example, when a CDPAP caregiver neglects a care recipient by not giving them their medications on schedule, it is considered elderly patient abuse.

Patient Abuse Statistics

Unfortunately, this issue is more prevalent than most people think. To illustrate, here are a few statistics about elderly patient abuse:

• Among those who are 60 years of age or older, 1 out of 6 (or nearly 17%) report that they suffered from abuse over the last 12 months in a community setting.
• In medical institutions (nursing homes and long-term care facilities, for instance), 2 out of 3 staff members said that they engaged in some form of abuse during the previous year.
• Across the world and in countries with swiftly aging populations, elderly patient abuse is a challenge that is expected to grow in the upcoming years.

This is particularly problematic because it comes with serious consequences, such as physical injuries and long-lasting mental health difficulties.

Consequences of Elderly Abuse

Here is what elderly patient abuse can lead to:

• Cognitive decline
• Depression
• Financial devastation
• Injuries
• Premature mortality and an early death
• Poor health

These consequences can result from different forms of abuse and neglect, whether it’s medical, emotional, and/or financial.

Types of Elderly Patient Abuse

The following are the most prevalent types of abuse that older patients suffer from:

• Abandonment: Simply put, some medical professionals will abandon their patients and ignore the areas that they need help with, such as chores, bathing, and preparing food.
• Emotional Abuse: Caregivers engage in emotional abuse by yelling at elderly patients, making them feel bad for requiring assistance, failing to provide them with mental support, and behaving in other psychologically-damaging ways.
• Financial/Material Exploitation: Examples of this are stealing items from the patient’s home, secretly adding purchases to their grocery list so that they pay for it, and deceiving them into giving the caregiver extra money.
• Neglect and Self-Neglect: Under this form of abuse, a health care worker may regularly miss a patient’s medication schedule, show up late to appointments, and/or avoid helping an older person with their daily obligations. Self-neglect takes place when the sick individual acts in a manner that is harmful to oneself and their care provider does nothing to stop it.
• Physical Abuse: This includes hitting the care recipient, threatening them, and/or being too aggressive with them (such as when they get dressed and change their diapers).
• Sexual Abuse: Those who are older and vulnerable are particularly at risk of sexual abuse (for instance, dementia and Alzheimer’s patients), as well people who suffer from physical disabilities.

If you suspect that your loved one is a victim of elderly patient abuse, you may want to look out for certain indicators.

What are the signs of elderly patient abuse?

There are signs that both the patient and their caregiver show when abuse is present. Below is a breakdown of each.

Signs from the Patient

Here are some clues that suggest that someone was a victim of elderly patient abuse:

• Anxiety, depression, and/or confusion symptoms
• Bad hygiene
• Injuries like bruises, cuts, and/or broken bones
• A lack of nutrition or nourishment, and/or weight loss
• Unexplained transaction or financial losses
• Withdrawal from family members and/or friends

Signs from the Caregiver

In the same vein, by looking at a caregiver’s behaviors and actions, you may be able to tell whether or not they partake in patient abuse. The following are a few noteworthy ones:

• Acting towards the patient in an angry, aggressive, demeaning, and/or indifferent fashion.
• Failing to be affectionate and compassionate towards the older person, especially if they are related to them.
• Flirting and using inappropriate language with the patient.
• Having a history of mental illness, substance abuse, family violence, and/or criminal behaviors.
• Offering contradictory and conflicting explanations of the patient’s physical injuries.
• Preventing the elderly care recipient from seeing visitors while they’re alone and without the caregiver’s presence.
• Referring to and talking about the older person as if they are a burden.

By keeping an eye out for these signs, you can help your elderly and/or sick family member or friend pick a reliable caregiver and avoid getting abused.

How to prevent elderly patient abuse?

Here is how you can identify elderly patient abuse and stop it in its tracks before it causes any serious damage:

• Check in on older patients that only have a few family members and friends.
• Educate yourself and others on how to spot and report abuse, which includes learning to differentiate between the signs of aging and abuse.
• Help both caregivers and care receivers that have drug and alcohol addictions by encouraging them to obtain assistance.
• Report actual or suspected abuse to the appropriate authorities. Typically, these instances are handled by your local adult protective services office, long-term care ombudsman, or the police. If you don’t have their contact information or aren’t sure who to get in touch with in your area, you may want to use the National Center on Elder Abuse to find these details.
• Support caregivers who have too many tasks and responsibilities. The patient’s family members and friends can step in when needed. Local relief care groups and adult day care programs are also options. Similarly, you should refer an overwhelmed caregiver to counseling service providers and outlets that promote emotional well-being.
• Talk to elderly patients and their caregivers about the challenges that they face and offer your assistance.

Engaging with your loved one and their caregiver will enable you to understand what they’re going through. Just as importantly, when you know how to identify the signs of abuse, you can stand in its way before it happens.

The widespread prevalence and devastating consequences of elderly abuse make this even more critical.