Types of Elder Abuse in Connecticut

Neglect and abuse comes in many different forms. You might be on the lookout for physical abuse, but did you know that your elderly loved one might be the victim of financial abuse or sexual abuse? In this section of our website, we define the different types of abuse that your loved one is at risk for. Understanding these risks will help you prevent or identify them and protect your loved one.

Start by checking out our page about identifying neglect and abuse towards the elderly. This will give you a sense of what kind of injuries you should look out for, as well as give some information about guides to abuse. Then, check out our page on factors in neglect and abuse of the elderly. This takes you through factors such as dementia, disability, gender, financial situation, emotional/mental state, social life, and education level. These could all play a role in if your elderly loved one faces abuse in a home or not.

Neglect and Abuse

Did you know that there are national standards for each nursing home to prevent abuse? Familiarize yourself with these standards so that you can clearly identify if a nursing home violates them. If this is the case, you should get your loved one help as soon as possible. In addition to national standards, here are some facts about abuse in nursing homes throughout the state of Connecticut.

As you deal with preventing neglect and abuse, you might wonder why the elderly are at risk for these issues. There are a lot of factors that might make your elderly loved one vulnerable to abuse. For example, the elderly are oftentimes taken advantage of because there is no one to protect them. They might not have family who can help stop various types of abuse. You can avoid this situation by checking in with your loved one frequently and offering them protection. Also consider that the elderly can be victims of abuse because it is hard for them to defend themselves, abusers might think that no one will believe the victims, or that the victims have no one to confide in.

In particular, elderly women are at risk for neglect and abuse in nursing homes and similar facilities. Once again, this is oftentimes the case because elderly women cannot defend themselves against attacks.

Veterans are also at risk for abuse in veteran community living centers. Veterans oftentimes face complications such as PTSD which can also be triggered by abuse or emotional distress.

If you think that your loved one is at risk for abuse, make sure to check in with them frequently and visit the nursing home when you can. Oftentimes, an abuser will leave a resident alone if they believe that there is someone checking in with them. They might leave that resident alone to avoid the risk of getting caught.

Finally, consider that if you are worried about neglect and abuse in a home, you need to understand what it is. Some actions might not qualify as neglect or abuse, even if you or your loved one do not like them. Learn more about what neglect and abuse of the elderly look like here. We have more definitions of different types of neglect and abuse in others sections of our website.

Understanding neglect and abuse is the first way to prevent it or stop it if it has already started. Make sure to check in with your loved one frequently and that they know what neglect and abuse are. Make it clear that they can come to you with any issues. This way, you can provide help as soon as possible.

Types of Abuse

Next, this section takes you through definitions of each of the common types of abuse that your elderly loved one might face. A person might face sexual abuse in a home, especially if they have dementia. In this situation, they might not remember the abuse, or authorities might not believe them if they do try to express their situation.
Emotional abuse is another type of abuse that the elderly can face in a nursing home. While you might think that this is a mild form of abuse, harassment can have a serious impact on your loved one’s mental health and well being. They might become afraid that the abuse will turn physical and live in fear. Obviously, you want to prevent these issues.
Medical errors are also a form of neglect. Many medical errors occur due to lack of communication amongst staff members. Make sure that your loved one is receiving the treatment that they need.
Self neglect is another form of neglect that you should consider. Self neglect happens when a person neglects themselves – their appearance, their well being, their health, etc. This is a very sad situation and you should be on the lookout to make sure that your loved one does not suffer from self neglect.
The elderly are also commonly victims of financial abuse. Sometimes the elderly are tricked into providing money, or their health insurance is taken advantage of. Learn more about financial abuse here.
Physical abuse is another form of abuse that is commonly known. Watch out for injuries that your loved one might sustain. Some injuries result from accidents, but others are inflicted on purpose.
Finally, consider that resident to resident abuse could occur in a nursing home. It is not always staff that neglect or abuse residents; residents can inflict abuse on one another. Keep this in mind and talk to your loved one about potential resident to resident issues in the home.
These are a few of the basic types of abuse to watch out for. If you need more information, please contact our office.