Senior Abuse: An "Invisible and Silent" Crime

I was moved by an article in Saturday’s Boston Globe; Galvin Moves to Protect Elders’ Interests and thought that Patch readers might benefit from knowing more about this invisible, silent crime against elders.  

Knowing that Secretary of State William Galvin took a first step towards rectifying the growing financial abuse against seniors by submitting a bill to the Massachusetts Legislature — a bill that would bar people with power of attorney from enriching themselves or otherwise abusing their authority — was satisfying, to say the least.

Better still is knowing that the legislation, filed earlier this year, states that those holding a power of attorney position must act in good faith. More importantly, it establishes that those holding power of attorney have a fiduciary duty to the people they represent — any action by them MUST benefit that person’s best interest.  

Unfortunately, statistics are showing that the number and percentage of senior abuse cases has seen huge growth as the first wave of Boomers hit 65 years old.  

Every year, thousands of older Americans are abused in their own homes by their adult children, grandchildren, spouses/partners, outside caregivers and those responsible for their finances. Around 20,000 senior abuse cases are reported yearly in Massachusetts alone! These are sad statistics for a society that claims to care about its aging population. Just in case you’re thinking, ‘Well at least it’s being reported,’ it’s actually not being reported often enough.  

According to the Administration on Aging for every one reported incident of domestic elder abuse or neglect, approximately five go unreported. That, my friends, tallies up to an estimated 100,000 possible cases of senior abuse annually just here in Massachusetts!  

Do not think for a moment that it can’t happen to those you care about. Abuse can and does also occur in relatives’ homes, friends’ homes and sometimes (sadly) even in the facilities responsible for senior-care.

Although the magnitude of senior abuse is hard for many of us to fathom, it is even more difficult to determine if it is happening, especially if those persons who think it may be decide to chalk it up to senior frailty, dementia or someone just getting older. Take the time to learn the signs and symptoms of elder abuse (listed below) so that if you suspect that a senior is being abused physically, emotionally and/or financially you’ll be prepared to act on their behalf.

These seven categories can be reviewed in greater detail at the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) website

1. Physical abuse — Any act of violence that causes pain, injury, impairment, or disease, including striking, pushing, force-feeding and improper use of physical restraints or medication
2. Emotional or psychological abuse — Conduct that causes mental anguish including threats, verbal or nonverbal insults, isolation, and humiliation. Some legal definitions require identification of at least 10 episodes of this type of behavior within a single year to constitute abuse.
3. Financial or material exploitation — Misuse of an elderly person's money or assets for personal gain. Acts such as stealing (money, social security checks, possessions) or coercion (changing a will, assuming power of attorney) constitute financial abuse.
4. Neglect — Failure of a caretaker to provide for the patient's basic needs. As in the previous examples of abuse, neglect can be physical, emotional or financial. Physical neglect is failure to provide eyeglasses, dentures, preventive health care, safety precautions or hygiene. Emotional neglect includes failure to provide social stimulation (leaving an older person alone for extended periods). Financial neglect involves failure to use the resources available to restore or maintain the well-being of the aging adult.
5. Sexual abuse — Nonconsensual intimate contact or exposure or any similar activity when the patient is incapable of giving consent. Family members, friends, institutional employees and fellow patients can commit sexual abuse
6. Self-neglect — Behavior in which seniors compromise their own health and safety, as when an aging adult refuses needed help with various daily activities. When the patient is deemed competent, many ethical questions arise regarding the patient's right of autonomy and the physician's oath of beneficence.
7. Abandonment — The desertion of an elderly person by an individual who has assumed responsibility for providing care for an elder, or by a person with physical custody of an elder.

When you have 15-20 minutes take a look a this video presentation to see firsthand the destruction elder abuse leaves in its wake: YouTube - An Age for Justice: Confronting Elder Abuse in America.

In an emergency or if you suspect a senior is in immediate danger, call 911. For all other abuse concerns, call the Massachusetts Elder Abuse Hot Line at 1-800-922-2275.