Louisiana Elder Abuse and Neglect: Part1-The Problem

1301 Common Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601 Tel 866-281-4774

ELDER ABUSE AND NEGLECT

Part I – The Problem


Deciding to put your parent, or another elderly loved one, in a nursing home or other long-term care facility may be the most difficult decision

you ever make

Knowing the odds that your loved one will become a victim of elder abuse or neglect makes the decision even harder to make

MAKING DIFFICULT DECISIONS


You have undoubtedly heard the term “The Greying of America”. Here is

what it means:

THE GREYING OF AMERICA


Average life expectancy in the U.S rose from 46/48 to 74/80 (males and females) between 1900 and 2000.

1

Older Americans represented 12.4% of the population in the year 2000. By the year 2030 older

Americans are expected to represent 20% of the population.

2

By 2050, older Americans will outnumber their younger counterparts (21 & younger) for the first

time in history

In 2009, there were about 40 million older Americans. By 2030 experts anticipate about 72 million older

Americans, more than double since 2000

4

3


WHAT IS ELDER ABUSE?


Physical abuse –physically restraining, pushing, shoving, slapping, punching, kicking or otherwise assaulting a victim


Mental/emotional abuse – verbally degrading, threatening to harm or abandon, or name-

calling


Sexual abuse – anything from inappropriate touching to rape


Neglect – failing to help the victim with personal hygiene,

failing to give the victim medication when it is due,

and/or isolating a victim from loved ones or doctors


Abandonment – desertion by someone who has agreed to care

for the victim


Financial exploitation – misuse of funds, unauthorized

“borrowing” assets, and/or outright theft of money or other

assets


Problem is new to law enforcement1

Reporting requirements are not uniform2

Victims fear reprisals from abuser3

Victims are ashamed4

WHY WE DON’T HAVE ACCURATE STATISTICS ON ELDER ABUSE


• 1 in 10 older Americans admitted to suffering abuse or neglect (other than financial exploitation) in the past year

• Less than 1 in 15 instances of elder abuse or neglect is reported

• 4 out of 10 older Americans report being exploited financially

• 5 million instances of financial abuse of the elderly occur every year

• 1 to 2 million older Americans are abused or neglected every year

AVAILABLE DATA


ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN NURSING HOMES

• During a recent 2 year period, 1 in 3 nursing homes were cited for federal standards that had potential to cause harm or that had caused actual harm

• 44% of nursing home residents admitted to being abused

• 95% admitted to being neglected, or seeing another resident neglected in a 2000 study

• 50% of nursing home staff admitted to mistreating an older patient


When surveyed, a group of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)

admitted: 17% pushed grabbed or shoved a

nursing home resident

1

51% had yelled at a resident2

23% had insulted or cussed at a resident

3


Physical abuse 29%

1

Resident to resident abuse 22%

2

Psychological abuse 21%

3

FREQUENCY BY TYPE OF ABUSE

Gross neglect 14%

4

Sexual abuse 7%5

Financial exploitation 7%

6


YOUR LEGAL OPTIONS

If you are the loved one of an older American who has been abused or

neglected you may have both criminal and civil legal options

Please see Part II of this series and consult with an experienced Louisiana Elder Abuse

and Neglect attorney right away


LEARN MORE ABOUT ELDER ABUSE IN LOUISIANA

http://www.broussard-hart.com/


Click to visit www.Broussard-Hart.comOr call 866-281-4774

http://www.broussard-hart.com/

Law

Louisiana Elder Abuse and Neglect: Part1-The Problem