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Abuse Later in Life
Domestic abuse is not ageist. Older adults and elders are likely to experience domestic violence by their intimate partners, adult children, grandchildren, or other family members, caregivers, or persons in positions of authority. These relationships are traditionally based on trust and care, which is why the public is less likely to hear about elder abuse.
NCALL (National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life) defines abuse later in life as the willful abuse, neglect, abandonment, or financial exploitation of an older adult who is age 50+ by someone in an ongoing, trust-based relationship (i.e., spouse, partner, family member, or caregiver) with the victim.
Domestic abuse later in life presents a whole different set of challenges and hurdles that are growing at a steady pace. As nearly 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day, the problem of domestic abuse is expected to grow. It is important for all direct service providers such as; victim service providers, the justice system, health care professionals, social service agencies, and community members to work together to learn how we can identify and address elder abuse.
Ways to identify
Caregiver neglect, financial fraud, exploitation, and psychological abuse are the most common types of elder abuse, but elder abuse can manifest in many different ways, there is a wide variety of ways that one may identify that an elder is being abused.
- Financial exploitation, like all other forms of abuse, could have long-lasting effects on a person. Signs of this abuse could include missing checks, failing to make payments on time if at all, missing credit or debit cards, missing property, insufficient funds in banking accounts of failing to pay for medical treatment as needed. The perpetrators often are family members, according to the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.
- Neglect can be committed by all types of caregivers, and the abuse can range from failing to wash clothing to failing to provide necessary medical care. Signs of neglect could include dirty or unsanitary living conditions, poorly managed medications, bedsores, dehydration, malnutrition, and other unexplained or untreated medical conditions. Neglect often leads to self-neglect, which according to the National Adult Protective Services Associations, could lead to serious health and safety concerns.
- Generally, physical abuse results in some type of bodily injury or impairment. It could range from cuts and scratches to brain injuries or broken bones. If there is a history of repeated injuries, this also could be a sign. No matter the severity of the unexplained injuries, they should be taken seriously. These physical marks also could be indications of sexual abuse and domestic violence.
- Psychological abuse may be a little more difficult to detect. It could, however, have just as significant of an impact on a person. This abuse could cause the elderly patient to be afraid of a caregiver or person, to become disconnected from family and friends or to act out in a different way. If a person suffers from a mental illness, his or her actions could be more severe.
At Harbor House, we feel fortunate to have a number of passionate staff members who are taking the lead to better the way we service and support our elder population. In January 2020, our Community Education Coordinator, Tracy, was invited to be a part of a nation-wide training put on by NCALL and the Department of Justice to train law enforcement and direct service providers on how to identify, support, and put a stop to domestic abuse within our vastly growing elderly population. A number of other states will be implementing this initiative as well, but in Wisconsin, there is a goal to train officers from every police department in the state by the end of 2023. We also offer a support group every week called our “Women of Wisdom” support group. This group is primarily for women ages 50 and up, that have experienced domestic violence in their past or currently are. The time is spent sharing experiences and offering support to peers, as well as advocate lead activities.
