HOUSTON – May is Elder Abuse Prevention Month and KPRC2 hosted a phone bank Tuesday on elder care.
We teamed up with Adult Protective Services to talk about resources available for elder care.
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Volunteers answered calls and questions from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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To report elder abuse you can:
- Call the 24-Hour Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400
- Visit the secure website: www.txabusehotline.org
Here are some signs of elder abuse to look for:
Indicators of Neglect
- Hoarding, home in disrepair
- Malnourishment, dehydration, over/under medication
- Lack of utilities (A/C, heat, water, electricity)
- Poor personal hygiene
- Lack of medical/mental health treatment
*Neglect makes up 73.1% of all cases in FY 2017
Indicators of Abuse
- Physical Abuse: Cuts, puncture wounds, burns, bruises, welts
- Sexual Abuse: Sexually transmitted infection, rectal bleeding
- Emotional Abuse: Fear of perpetrator, low self-esteem, depression, caretaker cursing, yelling and screaming
Indicators of Exploitation
- Unusual activity in bank account
- Caregiver’s name added to bank account
- Unpaid bills
- Unusual purchases on credit cards
- Suspicious loans taken out in older adult’s name
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