Unfortunately, sometimes the people we would expect to be helping elderly family members with their problems turn out to be the ones causing the problems. Elder abuse is a growing problem in Illinois (and across the country), and there is now a larger group of older persons in than U.S. today than ever before. As a consequence, the potential for harm to elderly family members and friends is also increasing.

If you suspect someone is a victim of elder abuse, please try to intervene. The first step is learning to recognize what forms it may take, and when it occurs. The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) describes seven major types of elder abuse:

• Physical abuse. This may include acts of violence such as beating, pushing, shoving, slapping, kicking, pinching and burning. It also includes inappropriate use of drugs and physical restraints, force-feeding and physical punishment.



• Sexual abuse. This is defined as non-consensual sexual contact of any kind. Sexual contact with any person incapable of giving consent is also considered sexual abuse. It includes unwanted touching, all types of sexual assault or battery, such as rape, sodomy, coerced nudity, and sexually explicit photographing.



• Emotional/psychological abuse. Emotional or psychological abuse is defined as the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts. This type of abuse includes verbal assaults, insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and harassment. Also, treating an individual like an infant; isolating a patient from his/her family, friends, or regular activities; giving someone the "silent treatment;" and enforced social isolation.



• Neglect. Neglect is defined as the refusal or failure to fulfill any part of a person's obligations or duties to an elder. Neglect may also include failure of a person who has fiduciary responsibilities to provide care for an elder (e.g., pay for necessary home care services) or the failure on the part of an in-home service provider to provide necessary care. Neglect typically means the refusal or failure to provide a person with such life necessities as food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, personal safety, and other essentials included in an implied or agreed-upon responsibility to an elder.



• Abandonment. This is 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.



• Financial/material exploitation. This includes the illegal or improper use of an individuals funds, property, or assets. Examples are cashing a person's checks without authorization or permission; forging a signature; misusing or stealing money or possessions; coercing or deceiving one into signing any document (e.g., contracts or will); and the improper use of conservatorship, guardianship, or power of attorney.



• Self-neglect. Self-neglect is characterized as the behavior of an elderly person that threatens his/her own health or safety. Self-neglect generally manifests itself in an older person as a refusal or failure to provide himself/herself with adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medication (when indicated), and safety precautions. The definition of self-neglect excludes a situation in which a mentally competent older person, who understands the consequences of his/her decisions, makes a conscious and voluntary decision to engage in acts that threaten his/her health or safety as a matter of personal choice.

If you suspect elder abuse of a relative or a loved one, get involved in his or her care. Talk to the caregiver or adviser, assess the situation, and do your best to determine the nature and extent of the problem.

Looking for elder abuse can be troubling and may feel overwhelming. If you have any concerns about the legal rights of your friend or relative, the attorneys of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. are available to help you.

Our firm has convenient office locations in downtown Chicago and Waukegan, Illinois. We also have a network of lawyers across the nation to assist you with your case.

Elder Abuse Updates

Sixty Plus: Abuse of seniors needn't remain unspoken BurlingtonFreePress.com, VT - Jul 21, 2008 Not making the front page, but just as concerning: the 2.5 million seniors who the National Center on Elder Abuse reports are neglected, ...

Total of eight candidates vying for county's top law enforcement post Christian County Headliner News, MO - Jul 26, 2008 I also feel elder abuse needs to be a priority. Sometimes these elderly citizens feel alone and threatened, and we need to assist them whenever possible. ...

Cases of Abuse By Home Aides Wall Street Journal - Jul 14, 2008 In tiny Lake County, Calif., 80% of the 74 prosecutions of elder abuse in the past year involved home aides, the district attorney's office says. ...

July named Elder Abuse Awareness Month Mt. Vernon Register-News, IL - Jul 10, 2008 But in order to keep up the fight against abuse and neglect, we need everyone to do their part. If you suspect a case of elder abuse, report it. ...

Otago Daily Times

Significant elder abuse in Otago Otago Daily Times, New Zealand - Jul 6, 2008 The Government provides more than $1.5 million a year for elder abuse and neglect prevention services but many parties believed there needed to be an ...