What is Considered Elder Abuse?
The Elder Abuse and Neglect Program responds to the following types of abuse: • Physical abuse: Inflicting physical pain or injury upon an older adult. • Sexual abuse: Touching, fondling, intercourse, or any other sexual activity with an older adult, when the older person is unable to understand, unwilling to consent, threatened or physically forced. • Emotional abuse: Verbal assaults, threats of abuse, harassment or intimidation. • Confinement: Restraining or isolating an older person, other than for medical reasons. • Passive Neglect: The caregiver’s failure to provide an older person with life’s necessities, including, but not limited to, food, clothing, shelter or medical care. • Willful Deprivation: Willfully denying an older person medication, medical care, shelter, food, a therapeutic device or other physical assistance, and thereby exposing that person to the risk of physical, mental or emotional harm – except when the older person has expressed an intent to forego such care. •
