ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
The Risks of Abuse and Neglect of Elderly Growing
Shocking Trends of Increased Abuse
Looking for Signs of Elder Abuse
As many as 1 in 10 older adults is abused or neglected each year in the United States, and only 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse ever comes to the attention of authorities. Elder abuse includes, physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse; financial and material abuse; and abandonment and neglect. Statistics show that older women are more likely to be victimized and mistreated. Whether the senior victim is an older man or woman, the elder abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. can represent you or your senior loved one harmed by any form of elder abuse, abandonment or neglect. If you or someone you know is suffering from any form of elder abuse in San Francisco or elsewhere in California, call our elder abuse attorneys today at 415-441-8669, and we can help.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports in particular that rates of elder abuse in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities is greatly increasing. Our elder abuse lawyers see seniors abused in facilities and in their own homes by caregivers hired to help them. When we represent an injured senior, we hold all responsible parties accountable. You can help fight elder abuse by educating yourself on the subject and watching out for signs of elder abuse, as discussed below. Report suspicions of any abuse to the authorities but also seek out counsel to represent you in holding those responsible for the abuse accountable. Our lawyers will pursue all remedies available to you. California law provides for extra damages and the award of attorneys’ fees and costs for seniors in bringing certain elder abuse claims. Calif. Welf. & Inst. Code §§ 15657 and 15657.5.
Spotting Abuse
Watch for signs of possible physical abuse or neglect:
- Bedsores/pressure ulcers or other poor skin conditions;
- Bruises and scratch marks;
- Poor physical appearance or lack of cleanliness;
- Frequent infections;
- Falls;
- Injuries from wandering off unsupervised (known as elopement);
- Indication of sexual assault, rape, or battery;
- Lack of equipment and supplies;
- Overmedication;
- Rapid weight loss;
- Dehydration;
- Abnormal or withdrawn behavior and unusual silence;
- Prolonged sleep or drowsiness;
- Agitation especially when certain caregivers are present or caregivers who do not want the patient to be alone with others;
- Reluctance to speak when staff is nearby;
- Unsanitary and unclean conditions, soiled bed linens and clothes;
- Fear of being touched.
Watch for signs of financial elder abuse too:
- Unexpected changes in wills, trusts or powers of attorney.
- Sale to the senior of an inappropriate annuity or life insurance policy.
- Changes in spending habits and cash withdrawals or different types of spending than the senior normally incurs.
- Sudden or unexplained check cashing, transfers of money or ATM withdrawals or credit card activity.
- Opening of a new bank or brokerage account (or multiple accounts) or changing banks and brokerage firms.
- Unpaid bills.
- Unusual increase in investment activity or change in investment style.
- A senior who is overly reluctant to discuss financial matters perhaps out of fear from retaliation from a caregiver or other abuser.
- Allowing a new friend or trusted acquaintance to make decisions on the elderly person’s behalf.
- Someone screening the elder’s phone calls or going through their mail.
Contact Us
Act quickly if you suspect any kind of elder abuse or neglect. Alert the authorities and reach out to elder abuse counsel. If you or a loved one is or has been the victim of elder abuse in San Francisco or elsewhere in California, contact Ingrid M. Evans and the other elder abuse attorneys at the Evans Law Firm at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. We can help guide your case through a jury trial or toward an equitable settlement. We handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, qui tam and whistleblower law, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
