Elder abuse is generally defined as any abusive act, whether mental, physical, or financial, that causes suffering to an older victim. The National Center on Elder Abuse defines this type of abuse as “inflicting distress, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts. When it comes to reporting elder abuse and neglect in California, your action steps will vary slightly if the older adult was abused in the long-term care facility where you reside or if it occurred in circumstances unrelated to a residential facility. Since elder abuse cases in California are rarely prosecuted as criminal matters, the Act exists to provide better civil remedies for abused or neglected elders.
One reason elder abuse is reported in only one in 14 cases is that many people don't understand how to recognize elder abuse. The punishment an abuser receives depends on whether the abusive act is considered a misdemeanor or a felony. Often abbreviated as the California Elder Abuse Act, it was enacted to protect sick seniors and dependent adults. To prove elder abuse in California, elements such as physical abuse, elder fraud, neglect, abandonment, isolation, and other treatments that cause bodily harm, pain, or mental suffering must be present.
Reporting this type of abuse not only protects the person currently suffering, but it can also help protect others in the future from being abused at the hands of the same person. If you have further questions about what constitutes elder abuse or neglect or how you should do to report a specific case, contact the Institute on Aging. If you witness elder abuse or suspect that abuse or neglect may be occurring, regardless of the particular circumstances, determine your California county's elder abuse hotline number and make the call. Unfortunately, many acts of elder abuse in California and across the country are committed by trusted individuals and institutions, such as family or nursing home staff.
Elder abuse is a widespread problem, so if you suspect someone you know is being abused, it's important to report it. When an abuse report is made to APS in California, officials will respond to reports of known or suspected abuse or neglect, conduct an investigation, and organize various services available through community agencies. Through his continued successes in handling claims related to abuse and neglect in nursing homes and nursing homes, Mr.
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