Focus on Elder Abuse Prevention In Georgia Today

This week, elder safety groups and Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyers mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.The Georgia Department of Human Services is asking all people to wear purple on Wednesday to raise awareness about elder abuse.

This week, family health agencies and elder safety groups in Georgia are asking all citizens to look out for signs of elder abuse.

Signs of physical abuse of elders are easy to detect.

· Look out for bruises and wounds and cigarette burns.Also look for signs of unnecessary physical restraint like handcuff marks.

· Look for a lack of physical grooming, like dirty and uncombed hair, dirty clothes, body odor and a generally unkempt appearance.

· Elders who are being abused may show signs of malnutrition and dehydration.They may also have bed sores.

· Make sure that the person is receiving his/her medications on time.Failure to offer medical treatment can also be a sign of elder abuse.

While physical abuse is easy to detect, mental abuse can be harder to spot.Often, elder may be subjected to emotional and mental abuse in nursing homes.Look for signs of anxiety, edginess, and fear.If your loved one looks jumpy or withdrawn, find out if there’s a problem you should know about.Be alert if you find that your loved one’s caregiver does not allow your loved one to speak.

A darker side of elder abuse is sexual abuse, which is much more common than Americans like to think. We all need to do our part to protect the elderly.

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