Unfortunately, we are used to hearing about cases of child abuse, but do you know that there is also elderly abuse? Statistics show that 3 to 5 percent of the elderly population in the United States has experienced elderly abuse. There are many cases where seniors get abused, and the worst bit is that the abuse is done by people who are supposed to take care of them, the family or the caregivers. For this reason, you need to be diligent about finding a reputable, background-checked caregiver in Cheviot Hills.
If you are not careful, you can encounter an abusive caregiver. You hire a caregiver to provide in-home senior care services such as light housework and exercising, meal preparation, assistance in the bathroom, companionship, etc. because most of the time you are not available to care for your elderly loved one. Unfortunately, certain caregivers could be taking advantage of your absence to abuse your parent.
If and when you discover any form of abuse on your senior, do not waste any time. If it is physical or sexual violence, call for emergency help including the police and medical care. You can also report the caregiver to the in-home caregiving agency that they work for or get referrals from. You will be given further advice, including getting a replacement. However, note that reputable referral agencies, like A Better Way In Home Care, conduct thorough background checks so as to minimize or completely eliminate any possibility of working with abusive or negligent caregivers. Please keep in mind that caregiver agencies are mandated reporters. If they are not reporting an incidence to the police and Adult Protective Services, they are not acting in accordance with the law or on your loved one’s behalf.
In some cases, the abused elderly may be threatened not to report incidents of harassment or sometimes may fail to report because of health conditions such as dementia. Failure to report does not mean that everything is okay. Your beloved parent who raised you in the best way possible could be going through hell. You don’t have to be told or conduct an in-depth research so as to know that your loved one has been abused. Just be on the lookout for these signs.
Physical abuse
Evidence of physical harassment can be easily detected. An elderly who has been physically assaulted will have several visible marks showing that abuse has taken place. Bruises could mean that an object was used to hit the senior or was beaten by bare hands. Are there any signs of broken bones and fracture? Maybe they were pushed and fell on a hard surface. Don’t forget to also be on the lookout for signs of burns on the skin.
Is the caregiver always on defensive mode? Do they rush to answer all the questions when they notice that you are becoming curious about visible marks on your parent’s body? The caregiver could be doing this so as to hide something sinister.
Emotional abuse
Seniors are vulnerable to emotional abuse, and the bad thing is that this form of abuse cannot be easily detected. Some level of experience may be required so as to conclude that a senior is going through mental torture. One sign of emotional abuse is withdrawal. A previously social person begins to prefer being alone and shuts everyone out. Sometimes, the opposite happens. You could also notice that the senior is becoming overexcited by your presence and feels safe while you are around.
If the elderly shows signs of fear or nervousness when the caregiver is around, suspect that something bad might be happening between the two of them. Emotional abuse could occur in the form of verbal insults and the caregiver yelling at the senior.
Sexual abuse
This can scare the hell out of you, but you still need to be cautious about it. Some caregivers can be monsters and may be doing horrible things to your elderly loved one in Cheviot Hills. Sexual abuse is something that cannot be ignored. If you notice some marks on the breasts or even in the genital areas of your loved one, do not ignore them. Any discharge from the genital sectors such as vaginal or rectal bleeding could be signs that a senior is being abused sexually. A caregiver who is always flirting with the senior in your presence or gets touchy quickly should be scrutinized.
Neglect
Neglect is also a form of abuse. An irresponsible caregiver will ignore the senior and fail to perform all the duties as required. One sign of neglect is a messy home. Maybe you decide to make an impromptu visit at your parent’s place, and you find the house in a total mess. The rooms are dirty, and everything seems to be out of place. Everything looks dirty, both the clothes and the utensils. Your loved one looks disorderly and has probably soiled their diapers. These are just some signs of neglect.
Note that neglect could be the result of an irresponsible caregiver or the workload being too much for them.
Financial abuse
A caregiver could be taking advantage of the job to make a fortune out of it. While providing in-home senior care, the caregiver could be mismanaging the finances. Signs of financial exploitation include frequent withdrawal of cash from the accounts, lots of unpaid bills and an increase in the use of credit cards. Financial abuse can be easily detected, and proper control measures can be put in place to handle this menace. This tends to happen when there isn’t a lot of family involvement or if the family lives far away.