Good for the elderly
Elder abuse can be reported to the Texas Family and Protective Services Elder Abuse Hotline at (800) 252-5400 or 1-512-834-3784 if the senior is not in a health care institution. Elder abuse involves a variety of behaviors such as physical violence, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, neglect, and abandonment of the elderly.
How Elder Abuse is Investigated in the U.S. In Texas, the law mandates that anybody who has reason to believe that elder abuse is taking place must report it to the relevant authority. The vast majority of these offenses are reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Local, state, and national social service agencies are available to assist those who are suffering from emotional, legal, or financial difficulties. In addition, the Administration for Community Living maintains a National Center on Elder Abuse, where you may learn how to report abuse, where to obtain help, and about state laws that deal with elder abuse and neglect.
While elder abuse is most typically physical in character, it can apply to any form of mistreatment that results in some sort of damage, such as bodily injuries or financial loss on the part of the victim. According to Texas law, anybody who sees abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child, senior, or adult with a disability is required to report it to the appropriate authorities.
When it comes to elder abuse, you might face significant criminal penalties if you are found guilty. Depending on the circumstances, you might be charged with a felony of the first, second, or third degree, or both. A third-degree felony carries a sentence of up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to ten thousand dollars.
Involuntary seclusion, intimidation, humiliation, harassment, threats of punishment, deprivation, hitting, slapping, pinching, kicking, any type of corporal punishment, sexual assault, sexual coercion, sexual harassment, verbal abuse, or any oral, written, or gestured language that includes disparaging remarks are all examples of abuse.
Adults who are old or disabled and who live in the community are investigated for abuse, neglect, and exploitation by the Adult Protective Services (APS). Adult protective services may be available to any adult who has a handicap or who is 65 years or older and who is in a state of abuse, neglect, or exploitation may be entitled to receive them.
It is possible for nursing homes to contribute to the prevention of elder abuse by doing the following: developing sound patient care policies and procedures. Increasing the frequency of volunteer and social worker visits is encouraged. The installation of quality control monitoring systems. Employees should be educated on concerns of elder abuse and neglect on a regular basis.
What Measures Can Be Taken to Prevent Abuse?
Fortunately, Texas does not have any filial responsibilities whatsoever. A recent Connecticut court judgment determined that a daughter was held personally accountable for her mother’s assisted living (rather than nursing facility) care, which should be highlighted as well.
Financial abuse is the act of exerting undue influence on a victim’s capacity to obtain, use, and keep financial assets. Those who have been financially exploited may find themselves unable to work. Their own money may also be limited or stolen by the abuser, if they are not careful. Additionally, they rarely have total access to financial and other resources.
What is Elder Abuse and how does it manifest itself? Intentional damage or inaction to hurt an older adult is defined as any act or omission to act that produces or increases the risk of harm. An older adult is defined as someone who is 60 years old or older. The abuse occurs at the hands of a caregiver or a person in whom the senior has placed his or her trust.
Call the Texas Abuse Hotline at (800) 252-5400 if you are experiencing any of the following:
Elder abuse, often known as mistreatment or exploitation of older persons, can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Elder abuse may take many forms, ranging from the intentional inflicting of physical injury to the use of deception or coercion to extract financial or material advantage from elderly or vulnerable individuals.
(12) ″Financial exploitation″ is defined as the illegal or improper use, control over, or withholding of the property, income, resources, or trust funds of an elderly person or a vulnerable adult by any person or entity for the profit or advantage of that person or entity, rather than for the benefit of the elderly person or the vulnerable adult in question.
Examples of this form of financial exploitation can include the following: Not getting permission to use an elder parent’s ATM card Forging or abusing a senior’s check is a serious offense. It is possible to utilize the authority conferred by a power of attorney to use the assets of an elderly person for one’s own interests.
Elder self-neglect is frequently triggered by mental health disorders such as dementia, depression, bereavement, substance abuse, and other forms of psychosomatic illness. It is possible that some people will not seek aid because they are humiliated, fear the repercussions, such as being forced to relocate, or do not have the social support to ask for help in a comfortable manner.