Older People

Domestic Violence Any Family, Any Age.

Domestic Violence does not only happen amongst young people. It can occur in older families too. For many older victims of domestic violence, there has been ongoing violence for many years, yet for others, it does not begin until later in life. Domestic Violence is the wrongful exercise of power and control of one person over the other

Various ways that Domestic Violence can be perpetrated include:

Physical Abuse

Slapping, hitting, bruising, beating, pushing, grabbing, pinching, or any other intentional act that causes someone physical pain, injury or suffering. Physical abuse also includes excessive forms of restraint used to confine someone against their will, i.e. tying, chaining, or locking someone in a room, force feeding.

Emotional Abuse

Can be verbal or non-verbal; it includes insult, yelling and threats of harm, name calling, put downs, humiliating, intimidating, treating an older person like a child.

Sexual Abuse

Is any sexual activity to which the older or dependent adult does not consent to or is incapable of consenting. Non-consensual sexual activity includes; unwanted touching, rough and unpleasant sex, forced or coerced sex, coerced nudity, sodomy…

Financial Abuse

Misappropriation of property, money or valuables, forced changes to a will or other legal documents, manipulating the older adult for the financial benefit or material gain of another….

Social Abuse

Is the refusal to allow a person access to family, friends, social activities, and talking to anyone. Preventing a person from receiving his or her mail or telephone calls….

Neglect

Failure to provide a person with food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medication, personal safety and health services….

Is this happening to you?

Do you feel isolated? Are you being deprived of the outside world?
Are you being deprived private space of time?
Are you being controlled and not allowed to make decisions for yourself?
Is your spouse, family members or carer withholding or mismanaging your medications or your money?
Are you being deprived of good personal hygiene or proper cleanliness when you need assistance?
Does your spouse, family members or carer make false accusations against you?
Is your spouse, family members or carer verbally, mentally, emotionally, physically or sexually abusing you?

Remember your bill of rights:

I have the right to be safe.
I have the right to a violent free environment and lifestyle.
I have the right to equality.
I have a right to be appreciated.
I have a right to my dignity.
I have a right to make choices.
I have a right to receive empathy and warmth.
I have a right to be accepted as I am.