Each year, many Kentucky families entrust the care of their elderly loved ones to professionals in nursing home facilities. Often, these establishments are capable of providing enhanced care, physical assistance and environmental stability for its residents. However, incidents of elder abuse are not unheard of and a person’s familiarity with the types of abuse can help them identify if their loved one is being mistreated.
According to webmd.com, some of the most common types of elder abuse include the following:
- Neglect: Sometimes, a caregiver may appear to be doing his or her job when in reality he or she is neglecting vital needs of residents. As a result, even if a person is satisfied with their interactions with a loved one’s caretaker, he or she should always pay attention to the condition and comfort of their loved one. Neglect can be demonstrated through unkempt hair, skin rashes, bedsores, loss of appetite and damaged devices like hearing aids or walkers.
- Emotional abuse: An elderly person that appears distraught, distant, distracted or anxious could be the victim of emotional abuse. This kind of mistreatment often occurs when the person’s caregiver is ignoring important needs, controlling their behavior, threatening their well-being or using manipulation and name calling.
- Physical abuse: Signs of physical abuse are often the most obvious. These include broken bones, bruises, swelling and repetitive injuries.
- Financial abuse: Perhaps the hardest type of abuse to identify, financial abuse may be occurring when a person notices that their elderly loved one is receiving strange bills, phone calls from collections agencies and that their banking account is being used for suspicious purchases. Other signs include unpaid bills and missing legal paperwork.
According to the Huffington Post, many instances of elder abuse occur between residents, as well as between residents and their caregivers.