Abuse in the elderly can have serious consequences on their health, especially if they already suffer from a disease or are older due to the weakness and vulnerability that this represents in the elderly.
Generally, abuse occurs by those who care for the elderly because seeing that they are vulnerable and do not have the ability to complain as they should, the abuser usually thinks that then it will be more difficult to be discovered. That is why it is important that if you are a relative of an older adult in a care home, asylum, among others, be aware of your loved one and visit him periodically to be able to monitor his countenance, health and mood. . Because otherwise, months of abuse could go by without anyone else noticing and being able to help the abused person.
Especially, after some time has passed since the abuse begins, you can begin to see the effects that it can have on older adults physically or psychologically. The most common physical effects are usually:
- Appearance of bruises or marks
- Scratches or cuts
- Broken bones
- Pain or difficulty moving
These are just some of the most common physical effects, however, abuse can cause other problems such as loss of appetite or depression, which can cause the health and immune system of the elderly to worsen considerably, bringing with it new diseases or the ones you already had become more severe.
Other effects of abuse, which can also cause worsening of diseases and health, come from the psychological damage of the abuse, such as:
- Loss of appetite and energy
- Refuse to socialize with anyone
Although the psychological effects are more difficult to detect, it may be that your loved one is exhibiting one of these symptoms just because they feel independent from others, alone, or isolated in their new home. Therefore, it is important to properly monitor their behavior, see if they have more than two of these symptoms and even ask the staff in charge of their care about their condition in recent weeks.