We are true advocates. We work with a range of members–from those who hire agency employees to those who hire independent caregivers on their own. What is most important is trustworthiness in the people selected to assist you in enhancing your lifestyle. Any caregiver that comes into your home should be background checked thoroughly and monitored for accountability. Elder abuse is prevalent and can be prevented. It is one of the reasons, I started Senior Lifestyle Concierge. I intend to reduce it no matter what.
Elder abuse can take physical and mental forms. Exploitation is a type of mental abuse that is subtle and often overlooked.When one thinks of mental abuse, we may think of degrading and dehumanizing an individual verbally, making their sense of self worth very low.While physical abuse can leave bruises and scars, exploitation does not. While being exploited, one’s self worth can be quite high.
Exploitation can take many different forms. Some are:
- Giving traumatic stories about not being able to make ends meet, with the expectation of receiving assistance.
- Frequently asking for personal funds, even as little as $1.00. These add up.
- Trying to obtain free rent by suggesting that you need 24-hr assistance, when you really do not, and offering to be that live-in caregiver.
- Using your property (i.e. car, food, personal items, laundry, etc) for personal use.
- Trying to get you to bail them out of trouble using your money, time or your connections. (i.e. paying traffic tickets, bailing out of jail, help for rehab, etc.)
- Sometimes individuals can become too comfortable even to the point of showing up intoxicated or under the influence of substances. There should always be that degree of respect.
Some people have enough charisma and charm to falsely inflate vulnerable individual’s sense of self worth. They may take advantage of someone’s loneliness or compassion. It is easy to become caught up in how wonderful someone may be as things slowly become missing without notice or you start paying the price. You only notice it when it’s too late.
You have to have partners you can rely on. Exploitation does not have to occur or continue. You may be willing to over look certain behaviors, but over time these little things add up, and will become a much bigger problem than you can handle. There are precautions you can take to ensure no one is taking advantage of you or your loved one.
Geriatric professionals can recognize and handle these kinds of challenges. They can serve as a partner to bounce ideas and concerns off. They can assist you to thoroughly check the background on all independent caregiving (private duty) household employees and provide on going monitoring of these individuals from an unbiased standpoint. We have to keep our loved ones safe and prevent them from being drained financially and emotionally.
I am a committed advocate. As a Founder and Lifestyle Coach of Senior Lifestyle Concierge, I serve as a second set of eyes and ears for primary caregivers and for our wonderful members who wish to maintain and enhance their independence. You become a member of our family. I will help you confront the challenges that you face.
