The team solicited research and practice examples from a range of experts. The Oct 1 Forum deepened the team’s understanding of the research findings.
A common theme throughout the discussions was that elder abuse rarely occurs as single incident or as a single form of abuse. As with child abuse and domestic violence, abuse patterns repeat. Multiple forms of abuse occur together.
Social isolation is often an indicator of more broad ranging elder abuse. Perpetrators with designs on an older person’s assets will often isolate the victim from family and friends.
Social isolation is itself a form of elder abuse. Preventing an elder from having visitors or phone calls, telling callers that the elder is not available is a common tactic to separate the elder from loved ones. Social isolation is recognized as a form of psychological abuse.
In California, isolating an elder is a crime under Penal Code 368. On August 19, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 937, clarifying that conservatees retain the right to visitation, phone calls, and personal mail.
Investigators attending the forum were encouraged to “look beyond the surface.” They will often find that psychological abuse is accompanied by financial abuse and perhaps physical abuse or sexual abuse. By “digging deeper” investigators can find the forms of abuse that are not as readily seen.
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NCPEA forum discussed social isolation as psychological elder abuse
4 comments:
Thank you for participating and speaking for all of us, Linda.
Wow, what an opportunity. Thank you, Linda.
Yes it is psychological torture and punishment.
Thank you Linda Kincaid for giving the silenced a voice – demanding this known tactic of punishment and torture end, STOP now.
The pattern of ISOLATION as common procedure is epidemic a national pattern of operation.
Isolation along with restricted visitation is abusive treatment of any human being.
Isolation to a senior citizen is elder abuse causing harm and in some cases the loss of persons from their pre-guardianship life causes major depression and illnesses, leading to a miserable hopeless feeling about life.
Many of our seniors are dying alone and afraid leaving this earth wondering why they were forgotten and abandoned.
Do you think for one minute that the Guardian or Conservator tells the WARD why?
Do you think for one minute that the ones in control of the WARD are truthful and honest?
I have been maligned by a court appointed guardian, for twenty years I have taken care of my profoundly disabled mother, when my alcoholic physician father who self prescribed anti depressants that he mixed with alcohol died in 2012 my family and the court appointed guardian stole money from my husband and I for bills we paid for my parents tried to come into the home with 48 hours notice to SEIZE my mothers personal belongings, (this was with the assistance of another attorney)it has now been two years and I have been unable to get help, attorneys tell me it is not worth fighting. Do you have any suggestions?
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