06/02/2017
People with disabilities, as well as the elderly are just some people who can be abused. Sometimes this abuse takes place in their own homes, by people they know. It is not always possible to spot the signs of abuse as, more often than not, people do not look for them. We assume that our parent is being taken care of in their own place.
Some people may not even be aware that they are being abused, as may be the case of financial abuse. Elderly people are an easy target as they most probably will not report anything untoward.
There are some types of abuse which are more unusual that others, and therefore harder to spot. Not all of these relate to the client that you are looking after.
Institutional abuse: this may be an issue if you arrive at your client to find that their routine is totally inflexible. They are given a time to get up, wash, dress and have breakfast. They may not have a choice of foods for breakfast or clothes that they wear. Afternoon tea is only at a certain time, and bedtime is also set. This may not be relevant in cases where your client is mentally diminished, but where the person can make a choice, they should be allowed to. If you arrive and try to alter the routine, you may find your client gets really agitated because this routine was enforced previously.
Neglect: at first glance we might think that neglect just means leaving a person sitting in their chair hour after hour. Neglect can go further than that where the abuser turns off the heating because they are warm, but the client is cold so is wrapped in a blanket. Neglect includes acts of omission. If a client desperately wants a birthday card posted so it arrives on time, and the abuser refuses because they can't be bothered to walk to the post office, this is a form of neglect.
Self-neglect: it is a very serious situation when you notice someone is neglecting their own self. Any neglect that is likely to cause harm – whether physical or mental – over a short period of time, is a form of self-neglect. This may happen because the person seems depressed, is in poor health, is mentally not capable of taking care of themselves or ill, and cannot look after themselves. Things such as living in squalor, suffering from an injury or disease, or being malnourished are signs of this type of neglect.
Finally, there is one type of abuse which is very seldom addressed.
Carer abuse: this type of abuse happens more often that we think, mostly in very subtle ways. Ninety percent of the time, the carer will not report it, for fear of losing the job. Instances like not being able to take a break (whether daily or weekly) is a classic example. The client or family will make all sorts of excuses why mom just cannot be left alone.
Late payment of wages is another example. Sometimes your cheque will be late because family have other things on their minds, and at other times it is late just because the family have some hangups about paying the carer from 'the inheritance'. Delay tactics are normally just done to annoy the carer, but it is a type of abuse.
Invasion of privacy. This happens when the carer has no space to call her own. As a live in carer you are entitled to a private room with a bed and at least a chair, a door which you may shut and lock and adequate use of a bathroom. It is not unusual for family to feel they have the right to walk into a carer's room without permission. It is also accepted that the client may wander in when they like.
In all of the cases of abuse, whether they are related to a client or a carer, it is essential that they are reported, discussed and rectified as soon as possible. In the case of carer abuse, your agency should be informed and involved, as well as the family. At the end of the day, if you lose a job where you are abused, it may not be a bad thing!
