According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1 in 6 people over 60 years old experience some form of abuse, and it is predicted that as the ageing populations rapidly increase, the number of abuse victims will more than double.

Elder abuse comes in different forms. In order to properly identify and report the abuse, it’s important to understand how to recognize the signs of each form. 

Physical Abuse

Intentional or reckless infliction of physical pain, injury, illness or impairment of physical condition is considered physical elder abuse in Wisconsin. These signs may indicate you or someone you know are a victim of Physical Elder Abuse. 

• Bruises, welts, lacerations
• Fracturing of bones or head
• Open wounds or untreated injuries
• Broken eyeglasses, canes, or other physical signs of punishments
• More signs here

Emotional Abuse

Language intended to humiliate, intimidate, threaten, frighten, or otherwise harass the individual is considered Emotion Abuse in Wisconsin. 

• Visibly upset or agitated
• Loss of interest in things normally enjoyed
• Unusual dementia like behavior such as sucking, biting, rocking.
• A sudden withdrawal from normal life
• More signs here

Financial Abuse

Obtaining an individual’s money through deceiving, force, coercing, theft, or forgery are only some of the forms of abuse. Signs to look for include:

• Sudden changes in bank accounts, including new names added for authorization
• Large withdrawals or transfers
• Delinquent bills
• Unexplained disappearance of money or valuables
• More signs here

Sexual Abuse

Any form of sexual contact or intercourse without the consent of the other person is sexual abuse. This includes unwanted touching, forced nudity or sexually explicit photographing. Look for these signs:

• Bruises near the genital areas
• Unexplained genital infections or diseases
• Garments that are torn, bloody, or stained
• A past victim of sexual violent
• More signs here

Neglect

Failure of a caregiver to provide adequate care, services, supervision can create significant risk or danger to the individuals physical or mental health. If you or someone you know are showing the following signs, they may be a victim of abuse.

• Obvious dehydration
• Bedsores or poor personal hygiene
• Untreated heath concerns
• Hazardous living conditions such as no electricity, heat or running water
• More signs here

Self-Neglect

When an individual is responsible for his or her own self-care but fails obtain adequate shelter, food, clothing or medical/dental care, they may be a victim of self-neglect. Signs include:

• Obvious dehydration or malnutrition
• Unsafe or unsanitary living conditions
• Inadequate food, clothing, eyeglasses, hearing aids, dentures or other medical aids
• Homelessness
• More signs here

In Wisconsin, elder abuse can also be defined as medical treatment without consent or unreasonable confinement/restraint. If you or a loved one are suffering from any form of elder abuse, reach out to someone you can trust for help, then report it here or call the Wisconsin Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-833-586-0107.