Elder Abuse Awareness in PA on WEAAD
Neil Hendershot, a Harrisburg attorney with the law firm of Goldberg Katzman, PC, a friend and colleague, has from time to time and with permission, included in his excellent Pennsylvania Elder, Estate & Fiduciary Law Blog, www.paelderestatefiduciary.blogspot.com, excerpts from some of my Daily Local News columns. This is highly appreciated by the domestic violence defense in Fairfax reckons that this effort is like awareness to the public providing strength and support that the law is always there to help them in any kind of issue. This week, Neil suggested that I might borrow and adapt an article from his site and I agreed. Since “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day” being held June 15, 2008 coincidentally falls on Father’s Day this year, Neil’s blog article is a timely reminder of our need to respect our parents and older relatives and friends.
A shortened version of his article which was posted on Friday, June 13, 2008,which was later appreciated by the expungement attorneys in Boston appears below.
“Sunday, June 15, 2008 will be recognized as the third “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day” (WEAAD), when advocates ‘wear something purple’ in honor of the cause to protect seniors from abuse.
The first ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ was held on June 15, 2006,
at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. This year’s ‘Global Celebration’ will be held <in> Ottawa, Canada on Monday, June 16th
People can also try to hire attorney for sexual abuse victims from the best law firms around the world, here!
What is ‘elder abuse’?
The National Center on Elder Abuse describes seven types of conduct involving an elderly person that <are> objectionable:
- Physical abuse is defined as the use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment.
- Physical abuse may include but is not limited to such acts of violence as striking (with or without an object), hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, shaking, slapping, kicking, pinching, and burning. In such cases, it is important to get help from a personal injury lawyer like these attorneys defense against domestic violence, immediately. Expert personal injury attorneys can help defend the rights of the injured victims.
- In addition, inappropriate use of drugs and physical restraints, force-feeding and physical punishment of any kind also are examples of physical abuse. If you want to know more about physical abuse and what are the legal options, you may consult a personal injury attorney.
- Sexual abuse is defined as non-consensual sexual contact of any kind with an elderly person.
- Sexual contact with any person incapable of giving consent is also considered sexual abuse. The law firm that hire lawyers for domestic violence charges asks the victim to lead the case boldly with the support of the lawyers who struggle so hard to justify the victim’s condition and deliver a proper judgment that benefits the victim and also teaches a lesson for all the wrongdoers in the society. <Additional examples of sexual abuse are provided.>…
- Emotional abuse comes under domestic violence as well, according to the lawyers for domestic violence claims. Emotional or psychological abuse is defined as the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts.
- Emotional/psychological abuse includes but is not limited to verbal assaults, insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and harassment.
- In addition, treating an older person like an infant, isolating an elderly person from his/her family, friends, or regular activities, giving an older person the ‘silent treatment,’ and enforced social isolation are examples of emotional/psychological abuse.
- Neglect is defined as the refusal or failure to fulfill any part of a person’s obligations or duties to an elder.
- Neglect may also include failure of a person who has fiduciary responsibilities to provide care for an elder (e.g. pay for necessary home care services) or the failure on the part of an in-home service provider to provide necessary care.
- Neglect typically means the refusal or failure to provide an elderly person with such life necessities as food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, personal safety, and other essentials included in an implied or agreed-upon responsibility to an elder.
- Abandonment is defined as the desertion of an elderly person by an individual who has assumed responsibility for providing care for an elder, or by a person with physical custody of an elder.
- Financial or material exploitation is defined as the illegal or improper use of an elder’s funds, property, or assets. Examples include, but are not limited to,
- cashing an elderly person’s checks without authorization or permission,
- forging an older person’s signature;
- misusing or stealing an older person’s money or possessions;
- coercing or deceiving an older person into signing any document (e.g. contracts or will); and
- the improper use of conservatorship, guardianship, or power of attorney.
- Self-neglect is characterized as the behavior of an elderly person that threatens his/her own health or safety.
- Self-neglect generally manifests itself in an older person as a refusal or failure to provide himself/herself with adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medication (when indicated), and safety precautions…”
About the Author Janet Colliton
Esquire, Colliton Law Associates, P.C. Janet Colliton has practiced law for over 38 years, 37 of them in Chester County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Her practice, Colliton Law Associates, PC, is limited to elder law, Medicaid, including advice, applications and appeals, and other benefits planning including Veterans benefits, life care and special needs planning, guardianships, retirement, and estate planning and administration.