Elder Abuse In America Summary

Physical abuse is exactly what anyone could imagine, it involves the physical act of beating, choking, or even sexually assaulting an elderly individual. This might occur in a situation where a caregiver becomes frustrated with an elderly individual for not performing a task the caregiver desires, or could simply be a case where someone takes advantage of an elderly person who may not be capable of retaliating. Psychological abuse is when threats, intimidation, and verbal aggression are used on an elderly person. Psychological abuse can be seen when a decision needs to be made by an elderly individual. One may threaten or intimidate an elder to persuade them to make a desired decision, and the elder would listen in fear or trust that the decision is of the best interest.

Financial abuse is when theft, deception, or mismanagement is seen within the elderly population. In the video “confronting elder abuse in America” there is a story told about Pat and Wilson Smith where they were a victim of financial abuse. Wilson met a woman and began to trust her, but she was using him to create accounts on various websites and opened bank accounts where she spent roughly $750,000 in his name. Wilson struggled with Alzheimer’s and was not aware of his abuse until his family recognized something was