Elder Abuse

Elder Abuse - also known as nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect - is the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an elderly person. There are three types of elder abuse:

• Domestic abuse - the abuse of the elderly by a member of his or her family.
• Institutional abuse - the abuse of the elderly by the staff of a nursing home facility.
• Self-neglect - behavior on the part of an older person that places his or her health and safety at risk.

Reporting Elder Abuse

There are several groups of people that by law must report elder abuse to the proper authorities:

• Law enforcement officers
• Adult Protective Services employees
• Health care provider
• Dependent care custodians - this includes nursing home employees and hospice care employees.