Today, June 15, 2013, is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). WEAAD was launched in 2006 by the World Health Organization at the United Nations to provide and promote a better understanding of the maltreatment and abuse suffered by older people. Additionally, WEADD and FinanceMarlin.com support the United Nations International Plan of Action, which acknowledges elder abuse as a human rights violation.
Elder abuse is defined as causing harm by direct or negligent acts against a vulnerable older person or people by trusted individuals or caregivers.
FinanceMarlin.com wants old people to remain happy and healthy in their older years, thus, below, FM provides a list of warning signs to help recognize the occurrence of elder abuse:
1. Physical Abuse
-Unexplicable bruising, sores, welts, etc.
-Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases
2. Emotional Abuse
-Unexplained or unusual changes in behavior or demeanor or withdrawing from normal activities
-The caregiver isolates the elder person not allowing anyone to see or visit the elder - may also be accompanied by aggressive or abusive language on the part of the caregiver.
3. Financial Exploitation
-A caregiver maintains control of the elders finances- whether it be direct access to bank accounts, checkbooks, credit cards, and/or life insurance policies yet the elder lives in sub-standard conditions and their needs are not provided for.
-Executed property transfer documents that the older person doesnt understand what they are or what they mean.
4. Basic Neglect
-A lack of food, medical attention and/or other human necessities like hygiene or clothing.
-The condition of the home in disrepair or lacks adequate facilities, like a stove and/or refrigerator.
-Person with dementia or other mind-altering condition is left unsupervised or confined to a bed without care.
AOA.GOV reported that every year, 2.1 million older Americans are victims of abuse. Finance Marlin urges everyone to be aware of the signs of elder abuse and to support programs combating it.
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