Vancouver Respite Care | June 17, 2024
What do you need to know about elder abuse? Comfort Keepers® is acutely aware that unscrupulous financial scammers targeting the elderly are perhaps the most recognized form of elder abuse. However, it is crucial to understand that elder abuse extends far beyond fraud and scams. It is a much more widespread and far-reaching issue that requires our vigilant attention and action.
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.
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.
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.
When seniors live alone, isolation, depression, dementia, and disabilities can hinder their ability to care for themselves. This often leads to self-neglect, which the Administration on Aging and the National Center on Elder Abuse identify as a form of elder abuse.
You can take specific steps to help protect older community members from abuse. The National Center on Elder Abuse recommends the following actions:
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.
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 to provide the seniors the loving care they deserve.
Many families prefer Comfort Keepers® when arranging senior home care services for a loved one in or around Vancouver, British Columbia.
If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones, we can help with 24-hour care. Comfort Keepers Vancouver also provides home care services like respite care, overnight care, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care, personal care, and more!
Personal and empathetic care starts in the heart and allows us to meet our clients’ needs. Comfort Keeper’s philosophy is to elevate the human spirit, and our caregivers ensure your loved one experiences a better quality of life.
Trained caregivers help provide our senior clients with personal home care to help maintain the highest possible quality of life, keeping them happy and healthy at home. Our Interactive Caregiving™ delivers a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).
Comfort Keepers® Vancouver is proud to provide elder care in homes throughout Vancouver, keeping seniors safe in their homes. We provide home care for the seniors of Vancouver and the surrounding areas of Burnaby, Langley, Maple Ridge, and Richmond. Please call (604) 689-8609.
Learn more about our unique service, which offers personal care, companionship care, palliative care, and end-of-life care by contacting the Comfort Keepers® Vancouver office.
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