ELDER ABUSE AND MALTREATMENT: CASE STUDIES AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Man Accused of Abusing Retired Officer Father

Police said a 47-year-old man intentionally neglected to provide care for his 84-year-old father and is now being charged with abusing a disabled elder person. "The father sleeps in a bed covered in his own feces. He appears to be malnourished. He is unable to walk due to extreme pain, so he cannot feed himself or go to the restroom," a Judge told the suspect after he said he didn’t understand the charges. Police found the home filthy, and the elder had not been shaven in a while. The elder’s best friend said he could be difficult to get along with. A neighbor who tried to check on the elder said the son would answer, “He's doing fine. He can't come to the phone.” (March 10, 2011, WSBTV Atlanta news)

Questions

What type/s of abuse has occurred?

What may have placed the elder adult at risk for this type of abuse?

What were the indicators of abuse?

Man, Girlfriend Charged with Cruelty in Death of Mother

A couple is in jail after being charged in the death of the man's 79-year-old mother. The couple is facing one count each of cruelty to a person 65 or older and two counts each of forgery. The cruelty charge is a felony. Authorities say the mother died after six weeks of hospitalization for an infection that developed because she was denied adequate health care and nourishment. She was also kept in unsanitary living conditions. The son also cashed $1,200 worth of the elderly woman's Social Security checks while she was in the hospital, forging her signature. (April 11, 2008; WSBTV-Atlanta)

Questions

What type/s of abuse has occurred?

What were the indicators of abuse?