Understanding And Avoiding Elder Abuse
In the context of law, certain demographics are considered more vulnerable to potential abuse, and someone in your life may fall into this category even if you don’t realize it. Traditionally when we think of vulnerable groups we think of children, however, people at the other end of the spectrum are also considered a special group, and elder abuse is, unfortunately, more common than we’d like to admit.
Thankfully the government and our legislation understand the importance of protecting our elder citizens, which is why today we’d like to take a closer look at the laws that are in place to help protect elderly citizens all over the country.
What is elder abuse?
Defining elder abuse can be tricky, but at its core, it refers to any action or pattern of actions that can result in neglect, abuse, or harm for an individual over the age of 60.
Actions conscious or not that result in an elder individual either being emotionally or physically abused are considered especially heinous in the context of law, and as such official institutions give special preference to these situations. last but not least it is important to note that elder abuse law applies both to men and women, and both groups are fully protected by the law.
Types of elder abuse
Now that we’ve defined what elder abuse is it’s important to take a look at some of the main categories of it. Physical abuse refers to cases where the individual suffers physical pain or injury as the result of another person. Neglect is a form of abuse that consists of failing to meet the needs of an elder individual in your care and can be often seen together with Abandonment or Isolation. Financial abuse is perhaps one of the most common cases as it refers to situations where an individual misappropriates the assets of an elder person, in other words, they either take money from them or gain property in an unethical manner.
Of course, all of the above cases are heavily punished by the law so if you or someone in your family fits into the above categories you should contact the authorities or approach a law firm. California financial elder abuse is a real problem, but there are also countless firms and professionals ready to assist in such a complex process. The law is designed to protect its citizens, which means that if you take the first step and reach an appropriate professional you should have no issue winning your case.