Elder Abuse: The Importance of Breaking the Cycle
Senior Health and Wellbeing | June 17, 2024
What Every Family in Edmonton, AB Needs to Know About Preventing Elder Abuse with Solutions and Respite Care
Elder Abuse | At Comfort Keepers®, we are deeply aware that unscrupulous financial scammers targeting the elderly are one of the most recognized forms of elder abuse. However, many people do not realize that elder abuse is far more widespread and extends well beyond just fraud and scams.
Elder abuse encompasses a wide range of mistreatment, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, abandonment, and neglect. It most often comes from family members, friends, or surprisingly, even the seniors themselves in the form of self-neglect.
#DYK – Nearly 50% of older adults with dementia suffer from elder abuse.
Elder abuse is often under-reported
Unfortunately, it is also greatly under-reported with one study estimating that only 1 in 14 cases is ever brought to the attention of authorities, medical professionals, or social service providers.
This lack of reporting can have devastating consequences for older individuals, with abused elders having a 300% increased chance of death as compared to their peers who have not suffered abuse.
The fiscal impact is equally severe, with abuse costing the healthcare system an additional $5.3 billion annually and the victims $2.9 billion in annual losses.
Who is at the greatest risk for senior abuse?
Any senior can become prey to abuse, but those with dementia or disabilities are at a considerably higher risk. Women, both disabled and non-disabled, are more prone to abuse than men.
In 90% of all cases, abuse comes from spouses, partners, adult children or other family members. There is an increased chance that family members who have drug, alcohol or mental health problems or those who feel burdened by caregiving responsibilities will be abused.
Seniors who are living alone may struggle with isolation, depression, dementia, and disabilities. These challenges can prevent them from properly caring for themselves, leading to self-neglect. The Administration on Aging and the National Center on Elder Abuse recognize self-neglect as a form of elder abuse.
How can you help stop elder abuse?
It is important to understand how to safeguard our elderly community members from abuse.
Families can take the following steps to help protect our older community members.
The National Center on Elder Abuse recommends:
- Be aware of seniors in your family and community. Get to know them and talk with them to help reduce isolation, which is a risk factor for mistreatment and self-neglect.
- Report suspected abuse or neglect and continue to be vocal if you feel the situation has not improved.
- You can report the abuse or neglect of seniors who are in immediate danger by calling the local police or 911. You can find more resources on the Government of Canada Seniors Website (http://www.seniors.gc.ca/eng/pie/eaa/index.shtml)
Warning signs of senior abuse include the following:
- Bruises, cuts, burns, pressure marks, or broken bones
- Unexplained withdrawal on the part of the senior from normal activities
- Sudden changes in the financial situation of the senior
- Poor hygiene, bedsores, or unusual weight loss, which may indicate the senior is not caring for himself or herself the caregiver is being neglectful
- Tense relationships or frequent arguments between the older individual and his or her caregiver
- Disparaging comments, threats and other power or control tactics used by spouses of the elderly.
Suggested solutions to deal with elder abuse:
- Volunteer with organizations that assist seniors. This can allow you to help seniors care for themselves.
- Find services available for seniors in your area to help them avoid situations where they are vulnerable to abuse and self-neglect.
- Your local Senior Center can give you information on programs such as Meals on Wheels, which can provide nutritious meals, and other programs for seniors that help them remain healthy, happy, and independent—all of which are strong deterrents of abuse and neglect.
- Learn as much as possible about the issue and become an advocate. Remember, elder abuse can happen to anyone; it can even happen to you.
How can Comfort Keepers® help family caregivers identify senior abuse?
Caring for an older family member can not only be a rewarding responsibility but it can also be stressful and fatiguing. This can lead to short tempers and frustration despite the best intentions of loving caregivers.
Helping families discover the benefits of respite care
Family caregivers can get help through respite care, where Comfort Keepers sends a professional caregiver to help out and allow the family caregiver to have some time off to take care of daily activities, attend events, or even have a vacation or an afternoon of rest.
By taking the time to care for themselves, family caregivers can continue providing the seniors the loving care they deserve.
Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is Proud to Offer a Wide Range of Home Senior Care Services
Our trained caregivers will ensure your loved one is comfortable, independent and safe in their home. On top of that, we will also aim to enhance their overall health, quality of life and general happiness.
Top-Notch Home Healthcare for Seniors in Edmonton, Alberta
Comfort Keepers of Edmonton offers a wider range of senior care services. We offer retirement care, respite care, senior care, companionship care, end-of-life care, post-surgery care, palliative care, personal care, and senior living transition services. If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help with 24-hour care and more!
Helping Seniors Age-in-Place with Companionship Care and Interactive Caregiving™
Empathetic care starts in the heart and allows us to meet our client’s needs. Our trained caregivers are selected with one specific quality in mind, empathy. We strive to stimulate our clients emotionally, mentally and socially, thus enhancing their overall quality of life.
Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses companionship, safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs). The system increases seniors’ sense of well-being, independence and companionship by focusing on Senior Mind, Senior Body, Senior Nutrition, and Senior Safety.
Affordable and Client-Directed Homecare is Available for Qualifying Albertans
Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is an Approved Service Provider for the Client Directed Homecare Invoicing (CDHCI) Program Offered by Alberta Health Services.
What is the Client Directed Home Care Invoicing Program (CDHCI)?
CDHCI is a great program provided by Alberta Health Services (AHS), allowing clients to choose an approved agency like, Comfort Keepers Edmonton for Personal Care, Respite Care and Homemaking needs. The chosen agency can then bill AHS directly for services rendered for approved hours through Alberta Blue Cross. Read more about the program HERE.
Accredited Home Care Edmonton
Comfort Keepers® Edmonton was awarded the “Accredited with Exemplary Standing” seal by Accreditation Canada. This honour demonstrates Comfort Keepers’ commitment to offering safe, high-quality home care to its senior clients in Edmonton, MB.
To learn more about senior in-home care in Edmonton, contact the Comfort Keepers® office. Our service territory includes Edmonton, Devon, Sherwood Park, Stony Plain and surrounding areas, contact the Comfort Keepers Edmonton office at 780-465-4665.
References
- Administration on Aging. (n.d.) What is elder abuse? Retrieved from http://www.aoa.gov/AoA_programs/elder_rights/EA_prevention/whatisEA.aspx.
- National Center on Elder Abuse. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/faq/index.aspx
- National Center on Elder Abuse. (n.d.). Statistics/Data. Retrieved from http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Library/Data/index.aspx
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