Elder Abuse: Closer to Home Than We’d Like To Think

Recent statistics present a frightening figure of the number of seniors who suffer from elder abuse.

By Kelsey Tokar, NCPC Staff

For many, growing old means retirement, relaxation, or moving to a warm climate. But for others, it means loneliness, health problems, or even abuse. Some seniors are placed in assisted living homes, while others are taken in by relatives willing to care for them. Although it may seem unthinkable, investigators have found that a substantial number of seniors have been abused by the nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or the relatives that provide their care.

The most recent statistics from the California Attorney General’s office, which is one of the nation’s leading advocates for the elderly, present a sobering picture. According to the office’s figures, one in three California nursing homes were cited recently for serious and potentially life-threatening treatment of the seniors in their care. Other states no doubt have similar problems.

Perhaps even more alarming is the fact that physical abuse of seniors is most commonly committed by someone the seniors know. The latest research from The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that between 1 and 2 million Americans ages 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or mistreated by someone upon whom they depend for care. Many children who were once cared for by their parents are now in turn being called upon to take care of their parents. In some cases, this is not the best answer. Sadly, elder abuse is often closer to home than we may think.

Moreover, trusted caregivers, including relatives, guardians, and staff at nursing homes or long-term care facilities, sometimes take financial advantage of their elderly charges. The American Association of Retired Persons recently published a bulletin indicating that caregivers may cause emotional and even financial harm to their patients by using their money or other financial resources for their own purposes. Moreover, seniors may be manipulated into changing their wills in favor of the caretakers, or giving access to their bank accounts to people they trust and depend on—but who may not have their best interests at heart. Some caregivers rely on this trust to even bilk the senior of the title to his or her home. In fact, according to AARP Bulletin Today, the financial downturn, whose layoffs, pay cuts, and foreclosures have caused an environment of desperation, has caused a nationwide spike in elder abuse rates. And seniors may also be victims of other types of abuse including scams such as telemarketing fraud and identify theft.

So what is being done to protect seniors from abuse? In response to the abuse crisis, the California Attorney General’s Office has doubled the size of its Department of Justice elder abuse prosecution program. The program includes a Facilities Enforcement Team that investigates and persecutes facilities such as nursing homes or hospitals that promote practices of abuse. To learn more about how the California Attorney General’s office is working to protect seniors, visit its website. Additionally, NCPC has a number of resources to help seniors steer clear of abuse. Safer Seniors is a comprehensive awareness kit that has fact sheets, brochures, and information on keeping seniors safe and in control. Another valuable NCPC resource is Seniors and Telemarketing Fraud 101.This publication takes an in-depth look at how to prevent seniors from becoming victims of telemarketing fraud. These and other NCPC publications on senior safety are available at the McGruff Store website.

Some behavioral and physical signs of elder abuse include

• Being confused or forgetful
• Being easily frightened
• Being withdrawn from activities
• Being unkempt or dirty
• Being malnourished or dehydrated
• Having unexplained bruises or welts

For a complete list of warning signs of elder abuse, visit this guide from the

California Department of Justice. To see what NCPC is doing to protect seniors, visit this page at NCPC’s website.