Who is considered an “elder” under the law?
Elder abuse protection applies to any resident in California who is 65 years of age or older; “dependent adults” who are defined as any person residing in California between the ages of 16 and 64 who has physical or mental limitations that restrict his or her ability to carry out normal activities or to protect his or her rights, and any person between the ages of 18 and 64 who is admitted to a 24-hour healthcare facility, including general acute-care hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, chemical dependency recovery hospitals and skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities. Therefore, while in a hospital of almost any kind, an otherwise young, healthy adult is entitled to protection under the Elder Abuse laws.
