What constitutes Elder Abuse?

[Kathykelly41]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

What is considered elder abuse, is it physical abuse or does emotional abuse of a parent who is not able to defend themselves due to dementia etc.?

[Hot Topic]

Physical, emotional, psychological.

Relative uses physical force on an elder to intimidate them into, for instance, signing over large sums of money.

Relative tells elder that they're "crazy" and that no one wants anything to do with them but the relative, so they should show "gratitude" by handing over large sums of money, POA, etc.

[JennK2009]

[url=http://www.state.il.us/aging/1abuselegal/abuse_what-is.htm]Ill. Dept. on Aging - What is Elder Abuse?[/url]

This is what IL Dept of Aging has to say:

"Elder abuse takes many forms, and in most cases victims are subjected to more than one type of mistreatment. In Illinois, 58% of elder abuse reports allege financial exploitation; approximately 22% allege physical abuse; 39% allege active or passive neglect; and 43% allege emotional abuse.

* Physical Abuse – causing the infliction of physical pain or injury to an older person.


* Sexual abuse – touching, fondling, or any other sexual activity with an older person when the older person is unable to understand, unwilling to consent, threatened, or physically forced.


* Emotional abuse – verbal assaults, threats of abuse, harassment, or intimidation so as to compel the older person to engage in conduct from which she or he has a right to abstain or to refrain from conduct in which the older person has a right to engage.


* Confinement – restraining or isolating an older person for other than medical reasons.


* Passive neglect – the failure by a caregiver to provide an older person with the necessities of life including, but not limited to, food, clothing, shelter, or medical care, because of failure to understand the older person’s needs, lack of awareness of services to help meet needs, or lack of capacity to care for the older person.


* Willful deprivation – willfully denying assistance to an older person who requires medication, medical care, shelter, food, therapeutic device, or other physical assistance, thereby exposing that person to the risk of harm.


* Financial exploitation – the misuse or withholding of an older person’s resources to the disadvantage of the elderly person and/or the profit or advantage of another person."