Prevention
Contrary to what many victims -- and even their loved
ones -- feel, if you become a victim of elder or disabled
adult abuse, it is not your fault . The abuser
chose to hurt you by their actions or inactions.
Even
so, there are many actions you can take to lower your
chances of being abused. This website will give you
many, with links to much more information if you would
like to investigate further. First, take a quiz
Fort Collins , Colorado district attorney Stuart A.
VanMeveren, has two excellent quizzes on his website
at http://www.co.larimer.co.us/da/vulnerability_profile.htm
One quiz is for older persons to take (it is also appropriate
for younger adults with disabilities). This one will
help you assess how at-risk you are, and simultaneously
will educate you about what elder abusers look for in
a victim.
The other quiz is for family members or concerned friends
of elders (again, it could be adapted for those concerned
about a younger adult with disabilities). This quiz will
help you assess how at-risk your loved one is, and also
help you learn more about potentially abusive situations.
Second, review what you can do
Protecting yourself from family members
Unfortunately, family members are responsible for most
of the abuse of elders living in their own or in someone
else's home. Preventing family abuse is not easy, but
there are things you can do.
- Do not allow yourself to become
isolated. It is far easier to abuse someone
no one ever sees, because the chances of getting
caught are much lower. Make sure you are involved
in activities that involve other people, even if
that means you need to arrange for people to visit
you at home.
- Seek regular medical care. Not
only are health care providers more individuals who
can see you and notice signs of abuse, but they also
can help you get early intervention for physical or
mental problems that may make it easier for someone
to abuse you.
- Do not "enable" substance abusing
family members. Most of us want to help
family members in trouble, but a definite abuse
risk is living with someone who abuses substances
(including alcohol and drugs), or who has a mental
illness that includes some violent behavior. Insist
family members get treatment or stay away.
- Choose whom to trust, and put
it in legal writing. A Durable Power of
Attorney (DPOA) allows you to designate who can make
decisions for you if you become incapacitated. Choose
carefully, because this document can be used as a "license
to steal." Build in safeguards such as not allowing
your power of attorney to give gifts, and have someone other than
the power of attorney receive copies of all bank
statements and notices of real-estate transactions,
to help keep everyone honest. Make sure you use your own lawyer,
not a lawyer representing the person you are giving
power of attorney to, to make sure your best interests
come first.
- Be careful about joint checking
accounts. San Francisco Chronicle reporter
Gail Bensinger, whose father was scammed, advises
this: "Regular
bills such as utilities can be paid directly from
bank accounts. Social Security and other regular
income should be deposited directly into your account.
Allowing someone else's signature on your account
is risky, so consider limits such as requiring two
signatures for checks over a certain amount."
- Be careful about your credit
cards and your ATM card. Credit card companies
can put low monthly limits on your account to ensure
no one else is running up your bill. Check your
statements on a regular basis, or ask someone else
to.
- Think twice about transferring
property or writing a will based on lifetime care. Once
someone else owns your home or knows they will
gain your assets when you die, they actually have
a self-interest in your dying early.
- Do not let other people handle
your mail. Most of us don't understand
how easy it is for someone who has access to your
mail to steal your identity and your good credit
record. Check your credit rating regularly (at
least annually).
Protecting yourself from in-home caregivers
In addition to the protective actions listed above,
there are additional steps you should take when you have
in-home caregivers.
- If at all possible, hire from an
agency . Make sure the agency conducts criminal
background checks, is bonded, and provides supervision.
If you do hire without an agency, make sure someone
checks the person's references and conducts criminal
background checks on your potential caregiver.
For more
advice on choosing home care providers, we recommend:
• Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations
http://www.jcaho.org/general+public/making+better+choices/helping+you+choose/hc.htm
- Make sure you have unannounced
visitors. Yes, some of us think it is
rude for someone to drop by unannounced, but this
practice is a great abuse-prevention method, as
the caregiver will be less able to clean up anything
suspicious.
Protecting yourself in nursing homes and other residential
facilities
If you are a family caregiver
Taking care of a family member with disabilities or
other needs is hard work. Too much hard work, and people
break and do things they normally wouldn't. Here are
some things you can do to ensure you can continue to
give loving care.
- Take care of yourself. You
are not going to be able to take good care of your
family member if you are in a hospital or have a nervous
breakdown. Like they tell you about oxygen masks on
an airplane: take care of yourself to make sure you
are able to
take care of those around you.
- Join a caregiver support group. If
you are a lone caregiver, attending a caregiver support
group may feel like an oxymoron: how can you care
for your family member if you are in a room a mile
or ten away? There are some email support groups (see
below). There are also respite programs, some volunteer-driven,
that could free you up for a few hours. But talking
to other caregivers is crucial: you need to know you
are not the only one handling so much, and you need
to know others' hard-won tips for making it easier.
Here
are some good websites for caregivers:
• Family Caregiver Alliance
http://www.caregiver.org
• Ten
Tips for Caregiving
http://www.crisisclinic.org/caregiver2.html
• Online
caregiver support groups
http://www.crisisclinic.org/caregiver4.html
- Ask for and accept help. No
one can provide care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you don't have family or friends who can help, call
the Eldercare Locator (see below) or a local disability
group for help.
• Eldercare locator
1-800-677-1116
M-F 9 a.m.
to 8 p.m. Eastern
www.eldercare.gov
- Take time outs. A time out can
be as short as two long breaths; just enough time
to relax your body and mind a bit and get your emotions
under control. Physical exercise benefits us in many,
many ways, and should be built into your schedule if
at all possible.
If you are a paid caregiver
- Pay close attention to physical
and verbal cues from your client. With enough
observation, you should begin to be able to tell
in advance (even if it's only a split-second before)
when your client is going to become aggressive or
belligerent. Knowing what comes next will not only
help you get out of the way, but it will help you
learn what not to
do in the first place.
- Be aware of a client's care
plan and particular needs before beginning a task. Care
plans are there to help you , too. They
may contain valuable hints to a person's personality
that will make your tasks go much smoother.
- Take time-outs. Even
two or three deep breaths can help give you the emotional
space and time in which to see other alternatives.
If you cannot calm down in a few breaths, see if
someone can cover you while you walk for a few minutes.
- Learn techniques. Attend
whatever trainings you can dealing with stress management,
handling aggressive clients, or tips for giving care.
If you are a professional or community member
The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
, Tom Reilly, has compiled a wonderful list of many ways
different professionals can use their particular skills
and resources to work against abuse of elders and adults
with disabilities. He has at least five suggestions for
each of the following groups:
- Law Enforcement
http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=1653
- Legal and Financial Advisors
- Health Care Professionals
- Religious Community
- Colleges and Universities
- Public Information and Outreach
- Get support. If you can
organize or attend a workers' support group, do so! Ask
your supervisor for advice. If your client was cared
for previously by a family member who now visits, you
might ask how she or he handled a particular behavior.
Third, read more
There are many fine resources on elder abuse prevention.
Here are some:
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