Emotional elder abuse is not the same as physical abuse, elder neglect, or financial elder abuse, although all three can definitely be linked and can be committed at the same time. Emotional elder abuse consists of:
- verbal harm
- emotional harm
- mental abuse
- emotional neglect
- psychological harm
Emotional elder abuse is usually committed by a family member or caregiver, although it is certainly not limited to them. These people inflict harm by:
- name-calling
- intimidation
- bullying
- trickery
- false promises
- giving the silent treatment
- lying
- harsh, angry words
- yelling
- threatening
- attacking the elder’s feelings of self-worth and confidence
- verbal punishment
Emotional elder abuse can be very hard to detect unless you witness it first hand. Of course, an elder might confide in you that he/she is being abused. In that case, you should ask the elder to document the abuse by keeping a diary or tape-recording the abuse, but only if you’re certain the elder won’t get caught. In the meantime, you should contact adult protective services in your state, and you should file a report with the police. If there is a family member who is outside the circle of abuse, contact that person and explain the situation. There are other ways to determine if an elder is being emotionally abused. Symptoms include:
- depression
- sulky silences
- withdrawn mood
- not wanting to see anyone
- distrust
- not speaking unless the caregiver is present (the caregiver has warned the elder against telling anyone of the abuse)
- decreased appetite
- suicide attempts
- mood swings
If you know an elder who is being emotionally abused, contact adult protective services and the police.
Tags:
abuse,
elder abuse,
Elder neglect,
emotional abuse,
emotional elder abuse,
financial elder abuse,
neglect,
physical abuse,
physical elder abuse
