Senior Care Hendersonville: Warning Signs of Physical Abuse

By Jim Smeaton
With Senior Care in Hendersonville, abuse is something that can impact people of all ages and genders. Victims of abuse can be mistreated in a variety of ways, including physical, emotional, sexual, and financial. While it is crucial to prevent and stop abuse that takes place in any situation, the elder care professionals at Always Best Care of Western NC, serving Asheville, Hendersonville, and surrounding western North Carolina communities, encourage you to understand the warning signs of physical abuse to keep your senior safe. While abuse is something that it is hoped no senior will endure, it is a problem that cannot be overlooked.

According to HelpGuide, the following signs of abuse can help you to identify and, ultimately, put a stop to the physical mistreatment of your elderly loved one:

•    Evidence of physical restraint, including marks made by ropes on the wrists or ankles, could indicate that your senior is being mistreated by their caregiver.

•    Tension between your elderly loved one and their caregiver, particularly if they had a positive relationship before, may indicate a shift in their attitudes toward one another. If conflict arises it is important to determine the root of the change in this relationship, as abuse can cause such negative attitudes.

•    When a caregiver becomes very protective of a senior (i.e. not letting family members or friends spend time with an elderly individual without the caregiver's presence) it can indicate that they are hiding something that they don't want their patient to reveal.

•    Changes to your loved one's personality or behavior can be caused by the stress of physical abuse.

•    Improper drug administration (either too many or too few pills being given) can indicate that a caregiver is misusing their position to abuse your loved one. Distributing medicine at the wrong intervals is also a sign of physical abuse.

•    Physical evidence of abuse, including bruises, scars, welts, and scratches, can indicate mistreatment. This is of particular concern if these marks are made symmetrically.

•    Broken glasses are a sign that a caregiver may have exerted force on your senior, although this particular warning sign can have many innocent explanations, so it is important to communicate with your senior to determine exactly what happened.

The senior care professionals Always Best Care of Western NC know that most caregivers are honest and compassionate; however, it is important to understand the signs of abuse just in case your elderly loved one is subjected to the abuse that does, unfortunately, take place in the elder care industry.

Finding the right care is not an easy decision to make, so we have put together an E-booklet filled with tips, advice, and general information so that you are well informed.

If you are interested in learning more about Alzheimer's, dementia and elder care, contact Jim Smeaton  and the professionals at Always Best Care of Western North Carolina at (828) 989-7263 or visit their website.