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Elder Crime |
With the aging of our population, the problem created by the abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of our senior citizens will become more of a problem in our society. The purpose of the Elder Crime page is to educate the public about elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, as well as describe the steps being taken by our Senior Protection Project to prevent, identify, investigate and prosecute crimes against our elderly. The following information is contained in this Elder Crime page:
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| Elder Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation | |||||||||||
The National Center on Elder Abuse defines seven different types of elder abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, abandonment, and self neglect. The following definitions are based on an analysis of existing state federal definitions of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation conducted by the NCEA in 1995.
Physical Abuse - use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment. Sexual Abuse - non-consensual sexual contact of any kind with an elderly person. Emotional Abuse - infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or non-verbal acts. Financial/Material Exploitation - illegal or improper use of an elder's funds, property, or assets. Neglect - the refusal or failure to fulfill any part of a person's obligations or duties to an elderly person. Abandonment - the desertion of an elderly person by an individual who has physical custody of the elder or by a person who has assumed responsibility for providing care to the elder. Self-Neglect - when an adult refuses vital services necessary to maintain health or welfare.
Because incidents occur with alarming frequency. They occur in families from all backgrounds and in every part of the United States. Although it is estimated that 10 percent of the elderly population were victims of various forms of elder abuse, the true prevalence of elder abuse is not known today. Because most cases go unreported. Many victims are ashamed or unable to report abuse--or fearful of what may happen if they do.
Victims often live with family members and depend on them for daily care. Victims are most likely to be:
Usually they are family members who act as caregivers. Abusers often suffer from: Stress - when added to personal and financial problems, the strain of caring for an older person can cause frustration. Unrelieved stress increases the possibility of abuse. Alcohol and other drug problems - alcoholism and other drug use may play a major role in elder abuse. Dependency on elder - while a victim may rely on the abuser for basic needs, the reverse may be true. The abuse may depend on the older person for basic needs, especially money or housing.
Elder abuse may take many forms: Physical abuse - victims are kicked, punched, slapped, beaten--even raped. Pain, injury or death may result. Neglect - failure to provide medicine, food or personal care (such as help to the bathroom) are common forms of abuse. Over medicating is abuse, too. Older people may be forced to live in unsanitary conditions, or in unventilated, poorly heated or cooled rooms. Financial exploitation - abusers may steal or mismanage money, property, savings or credit cards. Older people may be forced to sign a will or turn over assets. Psychological/emotional abuse - older people may be intentionally isolated or denied companionship. Abusers may threaten or verbally attack them.
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