Providing the assistance that helps seniors continue to be healthy, independent, and happy is the aim of not only our professional senior care team. Considering the quality of life of older adults is so important to us, it’s vital that we review a topic that can be really difficult for many of us to even consider – elder abuse.
The CDC reports that nearly 500,000 older adults are abused or neglected every year in the U.S. Not only that, but numerous additional elder abuse cases are presumed to go unreported each year, which is why it’s urgent for family members to be acquainted with possible abuse risks.
The following are several of the risk factors associated with elder abuse:
- Reliance on others: Seniors who depend upon others for care are often reluctant to bring to light any abuse, as they may feel unsafe or that their care needs won’t be able to be met by another individual if the abuser is reported.
- Reduced physical health and mobility: Dementia, Alzheimer’s or other disabilities may raise an older adult’s possibility of being abused since the person may not be capable of conveying or verbalizing the abuse.
- Previous history of abuse: If the senior was abusive as a parent, there is an enhanced chance of elder abuse, particularly if an adult child who was abused by the older person is the main caregiver.
- Social isolation: Social isolation commonly occurs when a senior loses a spouse or lives in a distant location from friends and family, and it can result in the perfect environment for elder abuse. Abusers notoriously try to keep seniors isolated by:
- Refusing to request economic aid or services
- Resisting outside support
- Switching social and healthcare professionals frequently to make it hard to evaluate the senior’s health status
- Controlling contact with the older adult
- Family caregiver stress or burnout: Overloaded caregivers can become depressed, leading them to lash out at the seniors in their care.
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If a loved one is being cared for by a family member, friend, or other caregiver, be aware of these risk factors, visit or call as often as possible to appraise the senior’s health, and play an active role in his/her care.
At Compassionate Care Home Health Services, we know how important a senior loved one’s safety and health are, and we always take the necessary measures to ensure we provide the very best care. Each member of our senior care team has gone through a comprehensive background check, reference checks, and a personal interview to make sure they meet our high care criteria.
Contact us today online or call 877.308.1212 to learn more about our in-home health in Traverse City, MI and nearby communities.