Violence Against the Elderly

According to Fox news, and elderly man in a home for disabled adults was severely beaten by a man employed to give care to the residents. The elder care worker was  arrested at his home in allegedly told police he was awaiting their arrival. Apparently Edward McClure, grabbed the victim by the throat and punched and beat him so severely that he broke several of the victim’s ribs.

The elder care worker is over 6 feet tall and weighs about 400 pounds, while the victim is severely disabled and weighs only 150 pounds. The victim suffers from an undisclosed mental disability and epilepsy. Coworkers at the home spotted the assault and call the police.

It’s frightening. The thought that very people that we count on to care for our elderly loved ones could be the cause of so much pain-and-suffering. Health-care workers and elder care providers do an extraordinary job. That’s why it’s so shocking to hear a story like this. Usually elder abuse comes from family members and it’s usually more subtle than a broken rib.

Many senior citizens live with an adult caretaker is also a relative. As their medical condition deteriorates, the seniors lose touch with the outside world. Friends and family that they knew see them less and less often. Any of the early warning signs of older abuse go unnoticed. Often elder abuse is explained away. The abuser discounts any complaints to dementia or mental illness. Friends and family are more likely to believe that grandma or grandpa really did suffer an accident instead of believing that one of their own family members could be behaving so cruelly.

One way to protect a senior citizen from abuse is through the use of recording devices. These so-called granny cams can be disguised in homes or even senior care facilities inside innocuous looking alarm clocks, radios, picture frames and smoke detectors. Before you purchase a granny-cam – make sure it’s legal in your town. Several states make surreptitious recordings of any type illegal while others restrict only audio recordings.

Granny Cam: Motion Detection Camera Desk Clock with Recording (DVR) on sale for $89.95 only at Brickhousesecurity.com!!

Always do a background check before you hire a home health care attendant or senior helper. You can check out senior care workers by clicking on this link which will take you to one of our affiliated offers.

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