Ways to Avoid Abuse of the Elderly

Statistics show that over 2 million senior citizens are victimized by abuse annually. The abuse can occur in places of care such as hospitals, nursing homes, and even their own home. What steps can you take to make sure a loved one who is getting older is receiving good treatment? Use these guides to avoid elderly abuse of your loved ones.

Locate a good practitioner to provide treatment. In most cases, those who abuse senior citizens lack close bonds with that older individual. When you hire a caregiver whom you have made a connection with in the past, you'll be more assured that your loved one will not be abused. Find someone that you will be able to trust to care for the elderly person that you care about.

You should ensure that the caregiver knows what to expect. Frustration is the cause of some elderly abuse. It could be that the caregiver was in the dark about what your elderly family member was going to require. Usually, the caregiver believes that he or she has too much on his or her plate. Sometimes the sheer volume of demands your loved one may put on their caregiver, whether mental, physical, or overall medical needs, may overwhelm the giver and push him/her to abuse their patient.

Elderly abuse is on the rise and you must stay on their toes to prevent your loved one from suffering - your family's doctors and your elder's caregiver should be in constant contact. This open communication might be able to avoid elderly abuse because of making the caregiver fully comprehend the specific needs of the patient. Don't give the older caregiver more responsibility than you have to. Make arrangements to perform duties like bill paying and errand running for your older loved one.

You need to make sure to check in regularly with the older members of your family. It is essential that older adults are checked on periodically to ensure their safety.  If an older adult is being cared for by a visiting nurse or other employee, it is especially important to make surprise visits. Discuss a schedule for checking-in with your acquaintances and loved ones. Tuesdays and Thursdays may be reserved for seniors, and neighbors can stop by on Monday and Wednesday and your sister can be requested to visit your family member on the week end. It is best if you do not specify anything in regards to time. Simply make sure that plenty of people are making unscheduled visits to the care facility that you aging family member is at.

A fool-proof way to ensure that abusing the elderly does not happen, is to visit the homes of elders on a daily basis. If you find it impractical to do regularly, you can approach organizations like Alzheimer's Association within your own community, which are very willing to undertake the services.

Look into day time elder care, similar to daycare for children. There are other options in addition to a caregiver if you find that you are unable to attend to your elderly loved ones needs throughout the day. Your loved one's name can be entered into adult day care. Be certain to seek out one that is managed by professional staff. The best way to prevent elder abuse is to only use a reputable elder care facility.