Elder Abuse - Introduction
Elder abuse is harm done to an older person by someone in a special relationship to the older person.
Elder abuse includes:
- Physical abuse such as slapping, pushing, beating or forced confinement;
- Financial abuse such as stealing, fraud, extortion or misusing a power of attorney;
- Sexual abuse as sexual assault or any unwanted form of sexual activity;
- Neglect as failing to give an older person in your care food, medical attention, or other necessary care or abandoning an older person in your care; and
- Emotional abuse as in treating an older person like a child or humiliating, insulting, frightening, threatening or ignoring an older person.
Elder abuse can sometimes also be a crime under the Criminal Code of Canada. Examples of possible crimes include:
- Physical abuse such as assault, assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm, aggravated assault, sexual assault with a weapon, aggravated sexual assault, forcible confinement, murder or manslaughter;
- Financial abuse such as theft, theft by holding power of attorney, stopping mail with intent, extortion, forgery or fraud;
- Sexual abuse such as sexual assault with a weapon or aggravated sexual assault;
- Neglect such as criminal negligence causing bodily harm or death or failure to provide necessaries of life; and
- Emotional abuse such as intimidation, uttering threats or harassing telephone calls.
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