Elder Abuse Awareness

Elder Abuse can happen to anyone, anytime. Are you prepared to recognize it and respond? Knowing what it is, how to spot it, what to do about it, and ways to prevent it can help.

What is Elder Abuse?

Elder abuse is any form of abuse affecting adults 60 or older. But the impact of elder abuse goes deeper. It has an impact on families and entire communities. There are many things that can be defined as elder abuse. However, they can be broken down into two main categories. Abuse and neglect.

Abuse

When it comes to elder abuse, abuse involves doing something to intentionally harm an older adult. There are several different types of abuse. For older adults, the most common are physical, sexual, emotional, and financial.

Physical abuse is anything that causes physical harm or injury. This most commonly includes pushing, grabbing, and any form of hitting. It can also include physical restraints, such as being tied down.

Sexual abuse is any unwanted sexual contact. It can also include comments that are sexual in nature and cause discomfort. Particularly with elder abuse, sexual abuse includes any sexual contact involving someone who is not mentally competent or capable of giving consent.

Emotional abuse is more difficult to identify because it doesn’t cause physical wounds. However, it can still be just as harmful. Emotional abuse involves using words and emotions to manipulate, control, or scare someone. It includes things like insults and embarrassments. Emotional abuse may involve yelling or raised voices and cursing, but these aren’t always the case.

Financial abuse is one of the most prevalent forms of elder abuse. It could be an older adult being robbed by a stranger. However, more often, it involves a family member either taking or misusing the older adult’s money. Sometimes, financial abuse can also involve a caregiver refusing to pay an older adult’s bills or buy things they need.

Neglect

Unlike abuse, neglect may not involve the intention of harming someone. Where abuse is something being done, neglect is about what isn’t being done. With neglect, someone is withholding things like food or care from an older adult. While abuse always involves an abuser, neglect does not. Sometimes, an older adult can neglect themselves if they are no longer able to take care of themselves.

An additional form of neglect that is an important part of elder abuse is abandonment. This is when a caregiver abandons an older adult and leaves them with no one to care for them.

Who does elder abuse affect?

Elder abuse can affect anyone. It can happen regardless of things like gender, race, and income. However, older adults without close friends or family are at a higher risk. Older adults with cognitive challenges, such as Alzheimer’s and other dementia, are also more likely to experience abuse. The United States Department of Justice estimates that nearly 5 million older Americans are experiencing abuse in 2025. Unfortunately, only about 4% of these situations are ever reported.

Abusers themselves can also be any race, gender, or age. Some studies show that nearly half of abusers are family members. Meanwhile, 13% are non-family caregivers and nearly 7% are strangers.

Warning Signs of Elder Abuse

Knowing the warning signs of elder abuse is the first step to protecting older adults in your life. It could be acquaintances, friends, parents, or other family members. Here are some ways to spot some warning signs of elder abuse.

Physical Signs of Abuse

These are less common but easier to notice. That’s because they’re physical in nature. If an older adult is experiencing physical or sexual abuse, there will likely be physical signs. Sometimes, there are also physical signs of neglect. Physical signs of abuse can include bruises, broken bones, cuts, and burns. Other physical signs can include poor personal hygiene, dirty living conditions, and weight loss.

Emotional Signs of Abuse

The emotional signs of abuse and neglect can be more difficult to recognize. Some common emotional signs can include fear, nervousness, and withdrawing or isolating from family, friends, or activities. These emotional signs can also be symptoms of conditions like anxiety and depression. Both of which could also be possible signs of abuse. Other possible emotional signs could be talking less, arguing more, being less energetic, or other personality changes.

Financial Signs of Abuse

Financial signs of abuse can be straightforward. Having access to an older adult’s finances can make it easier to watch for possible financial signs of abuse. These signs can go beyond just financial abuse though. They can also be signs of other types of abuse, like neglect. The biggest financial signs are things like large withdrawals or changes to who can access an account. Another sign could be signing legal or financial documents, such as suddenly changing a will or estate plan for no reason. For neglect, the biggest financial sign can be bills not getting paid. The first sign of bills going unpaid could be utilities being disconnected or an eviction notice.

Tips for Preventing Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is serious. It’s important to recognize warning signs, but it’s also helpful to know ways it can be prevented. Hopefully, these tips can help prevent you or a loved one from experiencing elder abuse.

Social Connection

One of the biggest risk factors for experiencing elder abuse is isolation. Older adults without close family and friends are more likely to encounter situations of abuse. Maintaining strong social connections is a great place to start with preventing elder abuse. Encourage older adults in your life to seek out social connections. This could be through a local senior center or a senior living community. Try to create stronger relationships with older adults who may be at risk for isolation and abuse.

Caregiver Burnout

Burnout is a concern even for professional caregivers. Family caregivers, who are often unpaid, are especially susceptible. Caregiver burnout involves physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. It can look different for everyone, but common symptoms include exhaustion, irritability, appetite changes, difficulty sleeping, and health conditions such as high blood pressure. While reaching the point of burnout isn’t good for the caregiver, it also isn’t good for older adults. A caregiver who is burned out and not taking care of themselves can’t provide the highest quality care to their loved one. Sometimes, caregiver burnout can even lead to elder abuse and neglect. So, preventing caregiver burnout is a great way to help prevent elder abuse. There are many resources available for caregivers to help prevent burnout, such as respite care.

Physical Health

It may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but good physical health is another way to prevent elder abuse. Older adults with good physical health are more likely to be active in their communities. They’re also less likely to need as much caregiver assistance. This can also help reduce the stress on family caregivers. Staying physically active can improve an older adult’s physical and mental wellbeing while also helping to prevent possible elder abuse.

What to do when Elder Abuse is Suspected

Those tips are helpful for preventing elder abuse. But they aren’t 100%. No matter how hard we try, it can’t be completely prevented. That’s why it’s important to know what to do if you notice signs of elder abuse. It could save an older adult’s life.

Make a Report

When you suspect any type of elder abuse you should report it. You don’t need evidence to make a report. Suspicion is enough. It’s the job of Adult Protective Services (APS) to investigate and determine if there is abuse occurring. A report can also be made anonymously.

The specifics of making a report can vary by state. In Ohio, elder abuse can be reported to the state or the county. The Ohio Department of Adult Protective Services makes it easy. Reports can be filed online or through a 24/7 hotline by calling 855-644-6277. You can also contact the Department of Job and Family Services in the county where they live and follow the prompts for reporting elder abuse.

When making a report, be prepared with as much information as possible. You may want to know the name, age, address, and contact information of the older adult. Try to have as much information as possible about the person you suspect of abuse, including their name and contact information. You will need to explain the situation, including what abuse you suspect and why. In Ohio, the agency prioritizes reports and will investigate within 24 hours or three business days, depending on the severity.

It can be stressful filing a report. You may find yourself going back and forth on what the right thing to do is. Especially if you suspect a family member of abuse. But you never know when it could save someone’s life. Always report your suspicions, even anonymously. Let the professionals investigate and determine if something should be done.