Signs of Elder Abuse

Identifying signs of elder abuse is sometimes trickier than it may seem. Elder abuse comes in all shapes and forms. In additional to physical abuse, withholding essential care is considered elder abuse as is not providing adequate nutritional intake to an elderly person in someone’s care. Financial abuse is also considered a form of elder abuse.

To determine whether an elderly person is being abused, you must consider not only the physical manifestations of abuse but pay attention to non verbal cues as well. A physical exam of any bruises, abrasions or cuts and their explanation can give you clues to what abuse is happening. Is the caregiver constantly at the elderly person’s side? Does the caregiver answer for the elderly person? Do the explanations match up to the kinds of marks displayed? Does the elderly person seem to be of appropriate weight? Ask them what they had for breakfast this morning or dinner last night. In some instances, a social worker could be of assistance to help provide meals on wheels, food stamps or other elder assistance. Large bedsores are also an indicator of poor or negligent care. Pressure ulcers, or bed sores, are avoidable but require vigilance by turning and repositioning someone frequently if they are unable to do it themselves. If you feel that an elderly person is being physically abused, contact your state department of children and families to file a report. An agent will then be dispatch to perform an investigation.

When assessing for elder abuse, attention to non verbal cues is important. How does he or she interact with their caregiver? Is the caregiver constantly hovering over them? Does he or she flinch at sudden movement of the caregiver? If so, make note of this. Although not a determining factor, flinching, along with deferring answers to questions regarding home life could be indicators of abuse.

Financial abuse is as important a factor as physical abuse. If a family member is continually borrowing money to finance their own lifestyle, not leaving enough money to provide necessities such as food or medications constitutes financial abuse. This is found a lot when adult grandchildren take up residence with their grandparents. In addition to the financial abuse, theft of necessary medications is also a consideration. Theft of narcotic pain medications occurs frequently and with doctors becoming stricter with prescribing and refilling narcotics, having pain medication available when needed is just as important as blood pressure medication or insulin.

Caring for the elderly can become a consuming ordeal. What starts as good intentions can deteriorate over time with what is called caregiver fatigue. Caregiver fatigue occurs when a caregiver is overwhelmed with the level of care and attention an elderly person needs. This develops more severe over time with incidents of verbal abuse, refusal to provide care and ultimately, physical abuse. Most times, just as in incidents of domestic abuse, an abuser regains control of themselves and resolves to “do better next time”, with multiple apologies thrown in for good measure. Over time, the incidents occur more frequently and ultimately result in outbursts of physical abuse. In some instances, the caregiver has no other source of income or place to live therefore it is important for them to keep the elderly person in the home instead of placing them in a skilled nursing facility.

Depending on the state you reside in will depend on who is legally obligated to report abuse. All healthcare workers, whether in or out of a facility have a legal obligation to report elderly abuse. In some states, members of the clergy have a legal obligation to report suspected abuse. People who report abuse in good faith are protected from prosecution if their report turns out to be untrue. However, failure to report carries a fine and jail time in some states. If you have a suspicion that an elderly person is being abuse, report it to your state department of children and families.

Pete Wise is a Content Marketer. If you or a loved one has been involved in elder abuse and neglect, you should also seek an elder abuse attorney to represent you. An elder abuse lawyer can help walk you through what legal options are available and which course of action should be taken. If you liked the article, check out his site for Denver SEO: PeteWiseSEO.com

BOOK REVIEW: Poisoned Love by Caitlin Rother

Poisoned Love is a True Crime Mystery.

Kristin Rossum was the All-American girl, coming from a wealthy family who coddled her every need, popular in school, pretty, charming, to name just a few of the characteristics associated with her early years.  She was a go-getter, an over-achiever in all aspects of her life, from her academics to ballet, Kristin had to excel in everything she did or she would feel like a failure.

On the day that Kristin tears the muscle ligaments in her leg, her dreams of being a Prima Ballerina are shattered and she finds relief in drugs and alcohol.  Her grades begin to suffer, her friend base changes, she fights with everyone and her parents are worried.  Everyone is at their wits end as to what to do with Kristin when, she disappears around Christmas time. 

She had been placed on academic probation for her poor grades and she decides to head to Mexico where drugs, especially her drug of choice, Meth, was easily obtained.  As she was walking across the border on that fateful day, she runs into her future husband and from there, their destinies twine to its morbid and fatal conclusion.

Greg DeVillers is the oldest of three sons of divorced parents.  His father is neglectful in his parental duties and he and Greg have an estranged relationship.  Greg's mother is always sick and it has fallen on Greg to be the patriarch in the family, learning responsibility and control.  He isn't very successful with the women, being shy and reserved and until he meets Kristin, his long term girlfriends had been few.  Greg's brothers think there is something odd about Kristin and encourage Greg to end their relationship, however, Greg has other plans and asks Kristin to marry him.  Greg believes his love will save Kristin from her recurring drug habits.

At first their romance is beguiling as the two lovers become entranced with each other.  And for several years it appears they are the perfect couple, but then Kristin begins to show signs of using again and it becomes a game of cat and mouse as she tries to hide her addictions and her affairs from those she loves.

Kristin works at a toxicology lab for the County Coroner's office where she works on determining the cause of death via hard to locate substances found within the body.  At some point she has an affair with her boss, Michael Robertson and the two of them become infatuated with each other.

Greg hadn't been feeling well of late and when he fails to show up for work one day, which is against his character, his co-workers feel like something is wrong.  When they learn the horrible truth each of them shares their tales of Kristin and Greg and the mixed messages that Kristin was always sending out to others.  At first it is decided that Greg took his own life after learning of his wife's transgressions but there are some people who just don't buy that verdict and what they uncover not only shocked them but brought the truth to light.

Dealing with the investigation and the court case that follows we watch as Kristin and Greg's life unfold and the final outcome of Kristin Rossum, All-American girl.

I thought this was an interesting book.  I thought it began well, giving the reader much information to process so that you can get to know the people involved with the story.  The back story lives of each of them is shared and delivered in a linear form without emotion, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions.

I became flabbergasted over the paths in life, here we have Kristin, born with silver spoon in her mouth and it wasn't enough for her.  Her narcissistic and over achievements were her folly and while one can make excuses about her drug usage, there truly isn't any explanation or reason behind any murder.

When I read the reasons why she did what she did, I was again, dumbfounded, there appeared to be a certain lack thereof as to a motive.  I got from the story that she did it because she could and I didn't feel any remorse on her part as I read the descriptive passages.

I would give Poisoned Love a three and a half stars out of five.  I thought the book started out excellent but then, about half way through I found it to be a bit repetitive and redundant.  I thought the addition of the pictures helped give the story balance as the reader could put faces to all the people mentioned throughout.  I did enjoy the writing style of the author, Caitlin Rother, and for this being her debut novel I feel she does have a excellent start in this genre. 

SYNOPSIS:
On November 6, 2000, paramedics answered a call to find Kristin Rossum, 24, sobbing. Her husband, Greg de Villers, wasn't breathing and she claimed he had overdosed on drugs after learning she was leaving him. But family and friends who knew of Greg's distaste for drugs weren't buying Kristin's story - particularly the idea that he would take his own life. The daughter of a well-to-do California family, Rossum was a brainy blonde beauty whose talent for toxicology had won her a post at the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. But her sweet smile masked a dark side. She'd developed a taste for methamphetamine in high school, and six months after her marriage to Greg, she'd begun seeking secret trysts with other men. At the time of her husband's death, Rossum was engaged in an illicit affair with her married boss. Investigators found that the Medical Examiner's Office was missing supplies of meth and fentanyl, the narcotic that had killed her husband. With each clue discovered, another piece of Rossum's "good girl" facade fell away. What the world would eventually see was the true face of a murderer - and the hand of justice...

 ** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **