report elder abuse

Prevalence Of Elder Abuse On The Rise – The Signs To Look For And Contact Information

With the population of senior citizens increasing at a rapid rate, so is the prevalence of elder abuse.  It is important to understand what constitutes elder abuse, looking for signs of elder abuse, who must report elder abuse and what you can do to help.

Elder abuse is knowingly or negligently causing harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult.  Abuse includes neglect (where basic needs aren’t being met), exploitation (usually financial), physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse.

According to the Ohio Department of Aging, signs to look for include bruises, cuts or other physical harm, sudden behavior changes such as becoming less social, a caregiver who refuses to allow visitors to see the adult alone, unsafe or unclean living conditions, overuse or under-use of prescription medicine, poor personal hygiene or dehydration or malnutrition, previously uninvolved relatives showing sudden interest in the adult’s rights, affairs and possessions, unexplained sudden transfers of assets or finances to an individual, abrupt changes in a will, financial documents, bank accounts or banking practice or unexplained disappearances of funds or valuable possessions.

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