With our senior care staff, as well as any family caregiver, providing help at home that keeps seniors happy, healthy, and independent is always the goal. Because the health and happiness of seniors is so important to us, it’s essential that we go over something that can be really difficult for many of us to even think about – elder abuse.
The CDC reports that almost 500,000 aging adults are neglected or abused annually in the U.S. alone. However, countless additional elder abuse cases are presumed to go unreported each year, which is why it’s urgent for family members to be informed about possible risk factors for elder abuse.
The following are several of the risk factors for elder abuse:
- Reduced physical health and mobility: Dementia, Alzheimer’s or other impairments may elevate a senior’s chance of being abused since the senior may be incapable of explaining or verbalizing the abuse.
- Family caregiver burnout or stress: Stressed caregivers can become discouraged, causing them to lash out at the older individuals in their care.
- Previous history of abuse: If the senior was abusive as a parent, there is an enhanced risk for elder abuse, particularly if an adult child who was abused by the older person is the primary care provider.
- Dependency on others: Older adults who need others for care are oftentimes unlikely to bring to light any abuse because they may feel vulnerable or that their care needs will not be able to be met by somebody else if the abuser is reported.
- Social isolation: Social isolation often occurs when a senior loses a spouse or lives in a distant location from family and friends, and it can lead to the perfect environment for elder abuse. Abusers quite often try to keep seniors isolated by:
- Resisting outside support
- Controlling contact with the senior
- Switching social and healthcare professionals over and over again to make it challenging to evaluate the older adult’s health status
- Refusing to request economic aid or services
It’s especially important to be conscious of these risk factors for elder abuse if a loved one is being cared for by a family member, friend, or other caregiver. Visit or call as often as possible to evaluate the senior’s health, and play an active role in his or her care.
At Heaven at Home Senior Care, we know how vital a senior loved one’s health and wellbeing are, and we always take the necessary measures to ensure we provide the highest level of care to prevent elder abuse. Each member of our senior care team has gone through an in-depth background check, reference checks, and a personal interview to make sure they meet our high care standards. Contact us online today or at (940) 380-0500 to learn more about our home care in Frisco and the nearby areas.