Protecting from Caregivers and Elder Abuse

It’s no secret that thousands of elderly abuse cases come from caregiving facilities and homes. It’s so easy for these caregivers to take advantage of the most vulnerable because they often don’t get caught. Many elderly are either unaware of elder abuse or simply don’t want to cause trouble for these people in positions of power, as they are the ones that ultimately suffer.

The most common reasons are for financial gain. These caregivers could be stealing valuables, influencing/ threatening to give up their money or willfully neglecting proper care to skim money from another source (the government, personal savings, money from the family, etc.).

It doesn’t matter if the caregiver works for a facility or simply a member of the person’s family; they are required to live up to a certain standard of wellness for the person in their charge. For that reason, here are a few tips for protecting the elderly from people you suspect to be bad caregivers.

How to Protect Your Loved One from Elder Abuse

  1. If you’re a friend or relative of someone that might be suffering from elder abuse, first offer to open a safety deposit box for their valuables. Keeping valuables away from their homes makes them less of a target for people looking to steal.
  2. Monitoring their finances might be a good idea as well. While you should never take control over their money, if they feel comfortable showing you their finances on a weekly basis, you can discern if any money if being willingly or unwillingly spent and try to help suspected elder abuse.
  3. It only takes one bad apple to spoil a good healthcare facility. If you suspect signs of elder abuse, you should report it first to someone who oversees the staff at the care facility and if it continues or the abuser is not swiftly fired, the incident should be reported to the authorities. They will investigate the facility and make the necessary actions if they find your charge against them to be true.
  4. If all else fails, it’s best to find a new living situation for your loved one. You need to find a facility that works best with their values and beliefs. Furthermore, you need to thoroughly look at a facility by reading various third party reviews and listening to first-hand accounts for that specific nursing home.