Indicators of Abuse

 

The following indicators may be a sign of elder abuse - especially when they are found in combination.

 

However, a “sign” or “indicator” of abuse may also be caused by an older person’s health condition, medication, or situation. For instance, a bruise does not always signify assault as some seniors experience minor bruising from skin changes due to aging. Indicators are not necessarily proof of abuse, but they are a prompt that further investigation into the senior’s situation is needed.

 

 

 

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF INDICATORS

 

The following indicators, especially when found in combination, may signal that a senior is a victim of abuse and/or neglect. In addition, some of these indicators may reflect more than one kind of abuse.

 

 

A

Agitation

 

Appearance, unkempt

 

Attitude change

 

Anger

 

Assets transferred from senior to others

 

B

Balance, poor

 

Bed sores

 

Bruises

 

Bones, unset broken

 

C

Cheeks, sunken

 

Cheques frequently made out to “cash”

 

Clothes, inappropriate for climate

 

Clothes, soiled

 

Cracked lips

 

D

Deference to abuser

 

Dehydrated

 

Depression

 

Detached retina

 

Disorientation

 

“Doctor Hopping”, i.e. seeing a variety of physicians

 

Drowsiness

 

E

Emaciated

 

Evasiveness

 

Eye contact, lack of

 

Eyes, sunken

 

F

Fatigue

 

Fearfulness, particularly in presence of abuser

 

Fecal impaction

 

Food, lack of

 

Fractures

 

G

Gag marks

 

Genital area, refusal to be washed in

 

Genital exam, refusal to have

 

Genital infections

 

Genital pain

 

Grip marks

 

H

Hand injuries

 

Hopelessness, feeling of

 

House sale, forced

 

Hygiene, poor

 

Hyperthermia

 

Hypothermia

 

I

Incoherence

 

Infant/child accessories around senior, eg., hair ribbons, baby books, bottles

 

Insomnia

 

Isolation from other family members, friends, etc.

 

J, K, L

Laboratory findings, abnormal

 

Legal documents, senior signs without understanding significance

 

Lice

 

Listlessness

 

Living conditions poor in comparison to senior’s assets

 

Living conditions worse than those of others in home

 

Locks on refrigerator or cupboards

 

M, N

Malnourished

 

Medical Aids, lack of — such as hearing aids, canes, etc.

 

Medical appointments, missed

 

Money, discrepancy between known income and ability to pay expenses

 

Money, lack of

 

Money, refusal to spend without agreement of abuser

 

Money, sudden or unexplained withdrawals from accounts

 

Mouth sores

 

Muscle contractions, immobility, weakness

 

Nails, uncut

 

O

Odour, unpleasant

 

P, Q

Pain on touching

 

Pallor

 

Passivity

 

“Pharmacy hopping” — obtains medications from numerous different pharmacies

 

Possessions, unexplained disappearance of

 

Psychosomatic complaints (complaints of problems that are caused or aggravated by stress)

 

Punctures

 

R

Restricted movement

 

Rope marks

 

S

Safety features in home, lack of

 

Scalp injuries

 

Scars

 

Scratches

 

Self-blame

 

Self-esteem, low

 

Shame

 

Signatures on documents/cheques do not resemble senior’s

 

Sleeping difficulty

 

Sleeping excessively

 

Speech, hesitant or inaudible

 

Sprains

 

Stories, implausible — especially when explaining cause of injuries

 

Supervision, lack of required

 

T

Tearfulness

 

Teeth or dentures, broken

 

Therapeutic response, reduced

 

U, V

Uncontrolled hypertension, asthma, or other medical condition affected by stress

 

Underwear torn or stained

 

Unpaid bills, unexplained

 

Unresponsive emotionally

 

Unshaven

 

Urine burns

 

Urinary tract infections, frequent

 

W, X, Y, Z

Walking or sitting with difficulty

 

Weight change

 

Welts

 

Will change — such as, leaving assets to someone unexpected

 

Withdrawal