Anyone who is in any way responsible for the care of an elder should file a report, if they reasonably believe that the elder has been abused. In most states, failure to report elder abuse or neglect is considered a misdemeanor. More than 73,000 seniors in Michigan are victims of elder abuse. Experiencing Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation.
The symptoms and treatment of elder abuse are complex and require a concerted effort to address this often unrecognized or reported social problem. That's why we brought together dozens of different organizations to work collaboratively to address the challenge. Negligence is defined as the denial or failure to perform any part of a person's obligations or duties to an elderly person. Negligence can also include the lack of fiduciary responsibility of a person who has fiduciary responsibility to care for an elderly person (e.g.
e.g. This occurs when someone who has a legal obligation or responsibility to care for an older adult and provide them with the necessities of life refuses or fails to do so. In general, the following things increase your risk of neglect Stay connected to your community and others. Social Isolation Increases Risk of Becoming a Victim of Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation.
Ask family and friends to check in and visit you often. You're less likely to be mistreated, neglected, or exploited if potential perpetrators fear being caught and if caregivers, guardians, and others you interact with are often held accountable. Develop positive relationships with your caregiver (s), guardian (s), and others with whom you often interact. You are less likely to be abused, neglected, or exploited if you have good relationships with people who care for you, make decisions for you, and otherwise are in a position to harm you.
Choose a long-term care option (whether it's a nursing home, adult foster home, nursing home, assisted living facility, or some type of home- or community-based care) that appears to have a lower risk of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. You can learn more about long-term care options in the Long-Term Care topic. Choose a long-term support and services option that has the ability to meet your specific needs. If a facility or caregiver has little experience with your specific needs and conditions, there is a greater risk of being neglected or abused.
You can learn more about long-term support and service options in the Long-Term Care topic. If you think you don't need a guardian, try to have the court not assign you a guardian. Guardianship takes away your right to make some of the most basic and important decisions in your life. Unfortunately, guardians can also use your guardianship power to abuse, neglect, or exploit you.
Therefore, avoiding the imposition of a guardianship when it is not necessary will protect your rights and prevent the guardianship from being used to harm you. If you need a guardian or the court will almost certainly assign one to you, try to get the court to appoint the best possible guardian for you. You can help reduce the risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation by trying to make sure that the person designated as your guardian appears to have the least risk of harming you and will act in your best interest. The older adult has been threatened with harm, neglect, or neglect if they disagree with financial arrangements presented by others Keep documents and other evidence of abuse, neglect, or exploitation in a safe place.
Talk to the person who has abused, neglected, or exploited you to try to resolve the problem informally. In addition to the general answers and remedies discussed above, here are a few more options you can consider if you have experienced abuse, neglect, or exploitation in a nursing home, nursing home, adult foster home, or some other assisted living facility Get help if you are at risk or are experience some other form of abuse or neglect. Elder abuse includes physical, emotional, or sexual harm inflicted on an older adult, financial exploitation, or neglect of their well-being by people who are directly responsible for their care. The stress of caring for the elderly can lead to mental and physical health problems that leave caregivers exhausted, impatient, and more susceptible to neglecting or attacking the elderly in their care.
Abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly and vulnerable adults are behaviors committed against an elderly or vulnerable adult who cannot protect themselves due to mental or physical disability or because of advanced age. Such contact may involve physical sexual acts, but activities such as showing an older person pornographic material, forcing the person to watch sexual acts, or forcing the person to undress are also considered sexual abuse of older persons. The use of deception, intimidation, or undue influence by a person or entity in a position of trust with an older person or vulnerable adult to obtain or use the assets, income, resources, or trust funds of the older person or vulnerable adult for the benefit of a person or entity that the older person or the vulnerable adult; b. If you are the caregiver of an elderly person and think you are at risk of hurting or neglecting them, help and support is available.
Signs of elder abuse can be difficult to recognize or confuse with symptoms of dementia, or the frailty of the elderly person or caregivers can explain them that way. Frequent arguments or tensions between the caregiver and the older person, or changes in the older person's personality or behavior can be broad signs of elder abuse. Failure to perform a fiduciary duty, including, but not limited to, misuse of a power of attorney, trust, or guardianship appointment, that results in the unauthorized appropriation, sale, or transfer of the property, income, resources, or trust funds of the elderly person or vulnerable adult for the benefit of a person or entity other than the elderly person or vulnerable adult; and (c). The Community Living Administration has a National Center on Elder Abuse, where you can learn how to report abuse, where to get help, and state laws that address abuse and neglect.
If you suspect that an elderly person is at risk of being a careless or overwhelmed caregiver, or of being financially prey to an elderly person, it's important to talk. While there is no way to guarantee that you will not be a victim of elder abuse, there are some steps you can take to try to avoid becoming a victim of elder abuse. Neglect can also include the fact that a person who has fiduciary responsibility to care for an elder (e). Obtaining or using the assets, income, resources or trust funds of an elderly person or vulnerable adult without legal authorization, by a person or entity who knows or must clearly know that the elderly person or vulnerable adult lacks the capacity to consent to the release or use of his or her property, income , resources or trust funds.
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