When you make the choice to place your family members in the care of total strangers, you assume they’ll be treated with dignity. But that isn’t always the case. According to the National Center for Elder Abuse (NCEA ), about 8,000 cases of elder abuse are reported in the state of Illinois each year, and those are only the reported incidents. It unclear how many other victims do not tell their families about the pain they endure because of fear, shame or guilt.

The Ugly Side of Caregiving

Though there are three general categories of elder abuse—domestic elder abuse institutional elder abuse, and self-neglect or self-abuse—institutional abuse is the one farthest from your control.

Institutional abuse is abuse that occurs in residential facilities for older persons (e.g., nursing homes, foster homes, group homes, board and care facilities), according to the NCEA. The abusers are usually persons with a legal or contractual obligation to provide elder victims with care and protection (e.g., paid caregivers, staff, and professionals).

Types of institutional abuse and their symptoms include:

· Physical abuse - bruises, pressure marks, broken bones, abrasions, and burns

· Sexual abuse - bruises around the breasts or genital area

· Emotional or psychological abuse - Withdrawal from normal activities and mild depression or odd behavioral changes; threatening or violent interaction with others

· Neglect - bedsores, unattended medical needs, poor hygiene, and drastic weight loss

· Financial or material exploitation – sudden fluctuations in money accounts or other material assets

· Self-neglect

· Abandonment

These problems aren’t a new phenomenon. Abuse, in this context, was formally defined in 1987, as part of an amendments package to the Older Americans Act, according to the NCEA. Unfortunately, the language of these amendments did nothing more than identify the problem. There was no way for abused victims or their families to seek reparations for the wrongs done to them. Lawmakers attempted to improve the situation in 1992, 2000 and 2006 via amendments to the Older Americans Act, but available statistics still indicate the problem is not being resolved.

Help on the Way

If you’ve recently become aware of a family member or family friend being abused, you don’t have to fight these institutions alone. After you’ve established the problem, don’t go sifting through the legalities of getting even by yourself. There is help available in your state, and it’s just a phone call away.