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An estimated one million older individuals are abused or neglected each year. Abuse may be physical, financial or emotional. Neglect is the withholding of needed care. Self-neglect occurs when an older person is unable to provide for her/his own care.
Domestic Violence against older adults is devastating to the victim, robbing her/him of health, dignity, and sometimes, life. Older adults suffer physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse at the hands of spouses, partners, their family and others. Yet, many times they are not aware that they can or should seek help. Sometimes, the professionals and agencies to whom they turn may not be aware of the many resources available to meet the sensitive needs of older battered adults.
Many older women face challenging family relationships. Husbands, partners, or adult children may tell them they cannot make their own decisions, such as where they can go or how they can spend their money. Some older women may be isolated from supportive family members and friends. Sometimes these women are afraid and feel they do not know what to do or where to turn.
Many women who are harmed by a family member look for ways to continue the relationship while trying to stop hurtful behaviors. Some older women choose to end the relationship by getting a divorce or legal separation. Fear, love, financial, legal and health concerns often figure into a woman’s decision to stay or leave. Each woman needs information to make decisions that are right for her. (This information is excerpted from the Financial Safety Planning for Older Women, published by the Wisconsin coalition Against Domestic Violence and Elder Law Center, 1998.)
Signs of Abuse
If you are being hit, kicked, slapped, threatened, made always to feel bad or stupid,
isolated from your friends and family, coerced or forced into sexual activity, having your property taken, prevented from getting a job or from having access to your money, medication, or medical care, or are otherwise being harmed, you are being abused!
If you are being abused, some of the things you may feel include shame, sadness, that you are worthless and deserve to be hurt, or that you must stay with your abuser.
A lot of abused women don’t think anything is wrong. You may have always thought that husbands or partners had the right to beat you.
People will listen and you can get help. You deserve to feel safe in your home, to feel good about yourself, and to not have your property taken from you. In fact, it is against the law for anyone to hurt or threaten you.
What kind of help can you get?
A number of agencies can assist you, including government agencies and crisis centers. Types of services you can receive include:
- A 24-hour-a-day, 7-days-a-week crisis line, which offers you confidential support and information from a crisis center advocate.
- Domestic violence and sexual assault support groups which offer you the opportunity to talk with other victims who have been or are being abused.
- One-on-one advocacy support, either in person or through a crisis line. Advocates are well trained and understand the dynamics of abuse and battering.
- Information on legal ways to make your abuser stay away from you and/or move out of your home.
- Assistance in finding a place to live even if you are in a wheelchair or have other special needs.
- Information on and assistance with receiving home care, home delivered meals, and other services to meet your basic needs.
- Additional services available to you that will allow you to live without
fear of abuse
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Anyone in New Hampshire can call 1-800-852-3388 and ask to be put in
touch with the nearest crisis center. To contact the Monadnock Center
for Violence Prevention call their 24-hour crisis line at (603)352-3782
or
888-511-MCVP
(6287)
For more information about crisis services to address elder abuse and
other forms of domestic violence, please visit the Crisis
Intervention section of our web site.
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