One of the main reasons for elder abuse is a nursing facility with few staff and a lack of quality caregivers. When this happens, residents don't get the care they deserve, as caregivers are too dispersed. Caring for older people can be emotionally exhausting and stressful, even for trained professionals. This can cause caregivers to make mistakes or vent their frustrations with the very people they need to care for.
Cultural Issues Some individuals or communities show a lack of respect for older adults. They can be considered disposable, increasing the risk of abuse. Some systems of ethical or religious belief allow abuse of family members and, in particular, of women. Members of these belief systems may not see certain actions as abusive, and victims of abuse often do not recognize their abuse as abuse.
Family stress: Bringing an older person into a family member's home, struggling to care for an older adult, or the financial burden of caring for an older adult can cause stress on caregivers, which can manifest as abuse. In addition, the field of research has relied heavily on the caregiver stress model, which argues that elder abuse can be attributed to stress associated with providing care and assistance to frail and highly dependent older people. Elder abuse can occur in many different settings, including nursing homes and centers for the elderly, but most reports of elder abuse occur in the home, according to the Department of Justice. Elder Abuse Lawyers Once you have reported elder abuse to 911 or an elder advocacy organization, it may be wise to contact an elder abuse lawyer.
All states also have laws called statutes of limitations that limit the amount of time you have to file an elder abuse lawsuit. Fortunately, there are laws at the federal and state levels to ensure that punishments for elder abuse are enforced. Elder abuse can also take the form of intentional or unintentional neglect of an older adult by the caregiver. The reporting agencies in each state are different, but each state has a designated service to receive and investigate complaints of elder abuse and neglect.
The first and most important step in preventing elder abuse is to recognize that no one of any age should be subjected to violent, abusive, humiliating, or neglectful behavior. Cases where financial exploitation is combined with physical abuse or neglect often involve economically dependent family members, particularly adult children, who have been cared for by the older person. We can connect you to the best lawyers and law firms if your loved one experienced elder abuse in a nursing home. Adult Protective Services (APS), present in all 50 states, is designated to receive and investigate complaints of elder abuse and neglect.
The Administration for Community Living 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.
