Elder abuse is a national growing epidemic that affects several hundred thousand Senior citizens every year. A recent Readers Digest article using data from a 2002 study performed by the National Research Council states that one to two million Americans 65 and older have been injured, exploited or otherwise mistreatd by someone on whom they depended for care or protection.
The purpose of this post is to help people understand the problem and how to fix it. If you suspect elder abuse is happening to a relative or friend, or if you are a victim of abuse, there are several resources listed at the end of this post with a lot more information. Make sure it gets reported to the proper authorities.
The information provided below is for informational pusposes only to help make others aware of elder abuse. More detailed information about elder abuse can be found from The National Center for Elder Abuse (NCEA), Medline Plus and Helpguide.org. There are also more resources listed below to help report it and how to avoid it.
Some of the conditions of elder abuse include:
- Physical Abuse
- Sexual Abuse
- Emotional or Psychological Abuse
- Neglect or Self-Neglect
- Abandonment
- Financial or Material Exploitation