CRIMESTOPPERS.NS.CA 23 The most scary part of Elder Abuse is that it is often perpetrated by a care giver, neighbour, family member or close friend. SOMEFACTS ANDMYTHS ABOUTELDERABUSE Fact • Victims and abusers come from all geographic, economic, social and cultural backgrounds. • Victims may not disclose abuse because they feel ashamed, guilty, fearful, or they wish to protect the abuser. •Victims often rationalize their abuse by blaming themselves in the belief that they once hurt the abuser. Myth • Older people could leave if they want to. • Spousal abuse stops at the age of 60. • Older people are usually sick, frail and need care. Older members of our community are often more vulnerable to abuse, especially those who rely on others for some, or all of, their care. These are some of the common types of abuse facing older adults. PHYSICALABUSE Any physical pain or injury which is willfully inflicted upon an elder by a person who has care or custody of, or who stands in a position of trust with that elder, constitutes physical abuse. This includes, but is not limited to, direct beatings, sexual assault, unreasonable physical restraint, and prolonged deprivation of food or water. FINANCIALABUSE Any theft or misuse of an elder's money or property, by a person in a position of trust with an elder, constitutes financial abuse. NEGLECT The failure of any person having the care or custody of an elder to provide that degree of care which a reasonable person in a like position would provide constitutes neglect. This includes, but is not limited to: Failure to assist in personal hygiene or the provision of clothing for an elder Failure to provide medical care for the physical and mental health needs of an elder. This does not include instances in which an elder refuses treatment. Failure to protect an elder from health and safety hazards. Self-Neglect Failure to provide for self through inattention or dissipation. The identification of this type of case depends on assessing the elder's ability to choose a lifestyle versus a recent change in the elder's ability to manage. Psychological/Emotional Abuse The willful infliction of mental suffering, by a person in a position of trust with an elder, constitutes psychological/emotional abuses. Examples of such abuse are: verbal assaults, threats, instilling fear, humiliation, intimidation, or isolation of an elder. Abandonment Abandonment constitutes the desertion or willful forsaking of an elder by any person having the care and custody of that elder, under circumstances in which a reasonable person would continue to provide care of custody. IS ABUSEOFELDERADULTS ACRIME IN CANADA? Abuse of elder adults is not specifically identified as a crime. The abuse may be a combination of different behaviours by the caregiver. Some of these behaviours may also be crimes. If the abuser has broken the law he or she may be charged with a criminal offence. novascotia.ca ELDER BCVTF House photo created by gpointstudio - www.freepik.com If you have any information on suspected Elder Abuse, we encourage you to report it to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS) or submit a SecureWeb Tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca. You can also text a secure message from your cell phone by using P3TIP MOBILE. If your tip leads to an arrest, you could qualify for a cash award up to $2,000.00.
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