Keeping Your Loved One Safe from Abuse

Keep Your Loved One Safe!
Written By: T. Bills

Many Adult children of elderly parents are greatly concerned about their loved one's safety in nursing facilities, and they have reason to be. Every year it is estimated that 2.1 million older Americans are the victims of physical, emotional neglect, and other forms of abuse. It is also conservatively estimated that for every reported case of abuse there are 5 more that go undetected. Researchers have also found that elderly people who are abused die more quickly and have a much lower quality of life than those who are not abused even if they do not have a life threatening illness or disease.

What Is Elder Abuse?

Elder abuse can take many forms, some of which may not be what one typically thinks of when considering the subject. In addition to the physical violence and sexual abuse that can sometimes occur in nursing facilities, there are many more subtle and still very damaging types that take their toll on elderly people. These can include neglect, emotional abuse, and even financial exploitation.

Protecting The Elderly From Abuse

An option that many families today are turning to for the protection and health of their elderly loved one is commonly referred to as an in-law suite or mother in-law suite. An increasing number of new homes being built right now in the US are designed and constructed with the addition of an in-law suite. Every year the number of in-law suite equipped homes is growing, largely due to fear of elderly abuse coupled with rising healthcare costs. The number of existing homes being remodeled to accommodate an in-law suite is growing at an even faster pace.

In addition to being close to family members for more personal interaction and supervision, new low cost video monitoring systems make it possible for adult children to monitor their loved one anytime they are not present. This ensures proper treatment and prevents neglect or abuse from in-home caregivers or others. The in-law suite also keeps the elderly person close to his/her family where they can interact and take part in the daily lives and activities while still having a private space of their own. This safe and caring environment can even increase the chances of the elderly individual to live longer and to have a better quality of life.

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524