Knoxville Elder Abuse

As per the National Center on Elder Abuse, just 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse is ever reported and taken action upon, and this is an alarming statistic. If you live in Tennessee, particularly Knoxville, it is mandatory for you to report when you observe or notice an elder facing abuse or living in an abusive household near you. Even if you suspect that an elder is being abused, it is your responsibility to report it.

Elder abuse is treated as a serious offense, and you can help people around you from being abused physically, mentally, or financially. All you need to do is call 911 and report everything to them, or you can The Higgins Firm and provide us with the details. We will take care of the rest.

Basically, elder abuse refers to criminal mistreatment of a person aged 60 years or above. It constitutes different kinds of abuse, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, abandonment, and even neglect. Moreover, it is mostly conducted by members of the seniors’ family, as well as the care staff or professionals at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or other forms of accommodation.

If you are an elder who is experiencing abuse at the hands of your family or caregivers, or you are noticing someone around you being mistreated, it is never too late to save them. If you think the authorities might not be able to help, you can relay your concerns to The Higgins Law Firm. We have a team of experienced and seasoned lawyers in Knox County, who will take your case seriously.

Elder abuse might manifest itself in different types and forms, and most of the time, people aren’t able to identify whether someone around them is being abused. Before we move on to the signs of elder abuse, let’s have a look at the types of elder abuse that seniors experience.

• Physical abuse: subjecting a senior to physical pain and causing injury.
• Sexual abuse: inappropriately touching, fondling, intercourse, or any type of sexual activity with a senior, as a result of intimidation or force, or conducted without their understanding and consent.
• Emotional abuse: harassing a senior through verbal assaults, threats of abuse or harm, or threatening and intimidation.
• Confinement: isolating or restraining an elder, unless it is a medical requirement or for their own safety.
• Passive neglect: failure on the part of the caregiver to provide the elder with basic necessities and medical care, including food, water, clothing, medication, bedding, etc.
• Deliberate deprivation: knowingly and willfully restricting an elder access to food, water, shelter, therapy, medication, medical care, or other forms of assistance for which they are reliant on others.
• Financial exploitation: controlling or restricting access to the elders’ financial resources and assets by force or intimidation.

The aforementioned types have been highlighted by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), and it highlights a large segment of the older adult population that is abused in one way or the other. What’s even sadder is that when most of the elders speak up in front of others, they are often subjected to gaslighting from their abusers, leading people to believe that their mental faculties are declining, due to which they shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Over the years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of elders being abused in the United States, and it is estimated that nearly five million American seniors are abused each year, and they are deprived of physical, emotional, and financial security, as well as peace of mind. As a result, they fear for their wellbeing and always anticipate being abused or tormented in one way or the other.

In Tennessee, it is mandatory to report elder abuse, which is why you should never stay silent, whether the abuse is happening in your own home or a house several blocks away from yours. There are several signs that can help you identify different types of abuse. For starters, if any elder tells you that they are being abused, listen to them and take action.

You can also identify physical abuse through bruising, injuries one after another, broken eyeglasses, and especially the reluctance of the caretaker or caregiver to allow visitors. If you observe an older person becoming socially distant getting belittled by their caregiver, it means they are being emotionally abused.

By reaching out to a Knoxville elder abuse attorney on time, you might be able to save a senior from becoming seriously ill or losing their lives to the neglect or abuse subjected by a family member or caregiver.