Warning Signs of Elder Abuse: How to Spot and Stop it in its Tracks

Elder abuse is something that can happen to anyone. It affects hundreds of thousands of elderly adults in the United States each and every year. There are different types of elder abuse, including mental, physical, and financial exploitation, though this list is not exhaustive.

Elder abuse is usually caused by family members or close care providers – someone the adult trusts. That’s what can make these elder adults so vulnerable – it’s usually those they least suspect.

In this article, we’ll help you identify the six main signs of elder abuse so you can step in and stop the situation as soon as possible. Let’s dive in.

Types of Elder Abuse

As we touched on, there are three main types of elder abuse: physical, mental, and financial. They could be victims of one, two, or all three at once, and up to 14% of older people may be experiencing elder abuse at any given time. (Source)

They may be victims of:

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is what happens when someone causes bodily harm to an elder adult. Things like hitting, pushing, or slapping. This list is not exclusive, however, because it can also include things like restraint against their will or sexual abuse.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse, also known as psychological abuse, is what happens when someone causes emotional harm to an elder adult. This can include acts like yelling, words said with hurtful intent, verbalizing threats, or ignoring or isolating them repeatedly. Emotional abuse is complex, and can span across genres, including:

Neglect

Neglect is a form of emotional (and sometimes also physical) abuse. Put generally, it is the act of ignoring physical, emotional, and social needs. This can manifest differently depending on the situation. Examples include (but are absolutely not limited to) withholding food, medications, or access to health care.

Abandonment

Abandonment is another subsect of emotional/psychological abuse caused by leaving an older adult who needs help alone without assisting or planning for their care.

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse takes several forms but could include anything from tricking the elder adult into spending money (scams, fraud, or lies/manipulation), stealing from them, or misusing their belongings.

Examples include:

Forging checks
Taking their retirement or Social Security benefits
Withholding access to their money or financial information
Using a person’s credit cards and bank accounts without their permission
Changing names on a will
Changing relevant information attached to their bank account (like beneficiaries or legal representatives)
Making adjustments to their life insurance policy
Or changing the title to a house/other assets without permission

Signs of Elder Abuse

Let’s talk next about how to spot the signs of elder abuse.

Warning Signs for Elder Abuse

One of the easiest things to doubt and overlook is your own intuition. If something feels off, take that as a serious warning sign – don’t brush it off. It’s better to be overly cautious for no reason than to be under cautious and miss something.

With that said, here are some warning signs to look out for according to the NIH:

Physical Abuse:

Bruising
Burns
Scrapes
Unexplained scarring
New trauma or abrasions to the skin
Unexplained injuries like broken/strained bones or muscles
Changes in mood (acting withdrawn or paranoid)

Emotional Abuse:

Changes in their behavior (like unexplained outbursts, paranoia, or reacting unusually to mundane situations)
Anxiety
Depression
Unexplained sores (bed sores)
Unexplained smells (indicating poor hygiene)
Isolation
Etc.

Financial Abuse:

Abrupt changes in account balance or credit score
Letters indicating a change in benefits status or enrollment
Your loved one receiving miscellaneous “incentives” to register for benefits, like a television, for example (a common lure for financial criminals to ensnare the elderly into their schemes)
Anything else that feels “off” like receiving pressure to make big financial decisions quickly and without thought

Closing Thoughts: Signs of Elder Abuse

While the warning signs for each type of abuse vary, the most important takeaway is that you need to be vigilant to keep your loved one safe.

If you found this article helpful, we invite you to check out our library of free resources. To get more information about the resources we have available to you as a California caregiver, contact us at the California Caregiver Resource Center nearest to you or join CareNav for free today.