Elder abuse and neglect are prevalent. If you want the best for your elderly loved ones, take steps to ensure these won’t happen. Here are eight ways you can stop elder abuse and neglect:
Recognize the signs
Research on different types of abuse to you’d know what you’re looking for.
Confirm the mistreatment
Look for physical evidence that the abuse is taking place. Bring your elderly loved one to a doctor and have them examined.
Check your loved one’s accounts
Look into your parent or relative’s financial accounts. Suspicious withdrawals could be definite signs that your loved one is suffering from financial exploitation, says the HelpGuide.
Pay a visit to your elderly loved one
Abuse always has an effect, and it’s not always a visible injury. So look out for the signs. Pay regular visits to your loved one and be sensitive to any changes in your loved one’s behavior.
Ensure the caregiver takes break
If the caregiver isn’t getting enough rest, this could affect the quality of care your loved one receives. The caregiver could take her frustrations out on your parent or relative, resulting in abuse.
Treat older people with respect
Treat the elderly with respect. Reinforcing these attitudes help prevent elder abuse.
Challenge ageist attitudes
Old people can help out in a number of ways. Fight against attitudes that say old people can’t help. Reach out to people in your network to help find opportunities and activities where you loved one can help out as well as feel useful and needed.
Get help
Talk to a Mundelein Elder law attorney to help you file a liability lawsuit against the caregiver or the care giver company if abuse has been confirmed. Your lawyer can tell you how to proceed and win your case to ensure nothing like that ever happens to your loved one again.
