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:

1. 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.
2. Report suspected abuse or neglect and continue to be vocal if you feel the situation has not improved. 
3. 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:

1. Volunteer with organizations that assist seniors. This can allow you to help seniors care for themselves.
2. Find services available for seniors in your area to help them avoid situations where they are vulnerable to abuse and self-neglect. 
3. 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.
4. 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® in Edmonton Can Help with In-Home Elder Care!

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help with retirement care, 24-hour care, respite care, senior care, companionship care, end-of-life care, post-surgery care, palliative care, personal care, senior living transition services, and much more! 

Comfort Keepers®’ are trained caregivers who help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. 

Companionship Care and Interactive Caregiving™

Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses companionship, safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Moreover, our trained caregivers are selected with one specific quality: empathy. Empathetic care is care that starts in the heart, and it allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. 

Home Care Edmonton

To learn more about senior care in Edmonton, contact the Comfort Keepers® office to discuss our unique service offering. If you live in Devon, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, or Stony Plain and surrounding areas, contact Comfort Keepers at 780-465-4665.

Is Invoicing Modelling and Client Direct Home Care the Right Option for You?

Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is an Approved Service Provider for the Client Directed Homecare Invoicing (CDHCI) Program Offered by Alberta Health Services. Read more about the program HERE.

Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is here to help you and your loved ones get the best care possible. Recently awarded the “Accredited with Exemplary Standing” seal by Accreditation Canada, our Edmonton location has achieved the highest available certification in Canada for Home Care services, clearly demonstrating Comfort Keepers’ commitment to offering safe, high-quality home care to its senior clients in Edmonton.

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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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