Learning how to recognize elder abuse

Did you know that about one in 10 Americans aged 60 and older experience some form of elder abuse, most often at the hands of their spouse, children or adult grandchildren? World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which takes place on June 15, is an ideal opportunity to increase awareness about this prevalent and widely under-reported public health issue.

Examples of abuse
Whether it’s intentional or involuntary, the abuse of elderly people can take many forms. Some common types include physical, sexual, emotional, financial, and systemic abuse. Neglect and discrimination based on age also constitute elder abuse. Here are a few specific examples:

• Dragging the person by the arm to make them walk faster

• Force-feeding or spoon-feeding the person because they eat “too slowly”

• Administering medication to the person to make them more submissive

• Withholding information that concerns the person because you assume they won’t understand or you don’t want to take the time to explain

• Taking away the person’s car keys and thereby limiting their independence

• Speaking to the person with condescension or like they’re a child

• Placing the person in a seniors’ residence against their will

• Mocking the person because they don’t understand something

• Preventing the person from spending money on things they enjoy because you don’t want them to spend your inheritance

For more information on how to prevent, identify, and report elder abuse, visit the National Center on Elder Abuse website at ncea.acl.gov.