2. Learn about abuse

The Patient Bill of Rights says that you have the right to be free from abuse and neglect.

Abuse can be physical, sexual, psychological, or financial. It can also be abuse if you are neglected or not cared for properly. Neglect happens when someone agrees to provide you with care but does not look after your basic needs.

Guided Pathway to respond to elder abuse

Create a safety plan and find information to take action against elder abuse.

Physical abuse

Physical abuse happens when someone does something that hurts or harms you. For example, physical abuse can happen when someone:

• hits, punches, slaps, chokes, burns, or pushes you
• ties you up
• locks you in a place like a room or a car
• forces you to take medication to make you go to sleep or be sleepy

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse is any form of sexual activity that you do not want. This includes someone:

• making sexual remarks to you
• taking intimate photographs of you

Emotional abuse

Emotional, mental, and verbal abuse are forms of psychological abuse. For example, psychological abuse can happen when someone:

• yells at you or threatens you
• insults, bullies, or makes you feel ashamed
• stops you from contacting your friends and family
• says they will abandon you or send you away
• invades your privacy by reading your emails, text messages, or mail, or by listening to your phone conversations

Financial abuse

For example, financial abuse can happen when someone:

• takes your money without your permission,
• controls your finances or refuses to share money, or
• uses your Power of Attorney for Property in a dishonest way. They might do this by paying their bills with money from your bank account or selling your property without telling you and keeping the money.

Neglect and poor care

Neglect can also be abuse. For example, neglect can happen when someone:

• leaves you alone when you need help
• does not give you food, clothing, medicine, or other things that you need and that they're supposed to give you
• does not give you the proper care, for example, accidentally hurts you when helping you move
• does not have the skills to care for you, for example, makes mistakes or does things wrong when giving you care