Grandpa has lost a lot of weight since he has been in a retirement home, is he also a victim of abuse? There are often bruises on mom’s legs, is that normal when you are 82 years old? Families who place an elderly loved one in an institution can sometimes worry about them. “There is often a bit of guilt, which makes them very demanding and hyper-attentive,” notes Pierre Czernicahow, president of the
Federation 3977 which works against elder abuse.
But since the publication of the shocking book The Gravediggers which accuses the Orpea group of mistreatment in its Ehpad, the fears of families could still be amplified and perhaps confirmed. At a time when the former leader of the group continues to be accountable, how to identify a case of abuse in an elderly person and who to contact in these cases? 20 minutes tells you what to do.
How to identify a case of abuse?
“If we talk about abuse, it implies that the person is vulnerable and is not able to defend themselves,” says Pierre Czernicahow. We then understand that there is a balance of power and that the victim will not always be able to come forward. It is therefore often up to the family or loved ones to be vigilant and to see if there is a problem. On its website, the association The little brothers of the poor recalls that mistreatment is defined as “violence, characterized by any act or omission committed by a person if it affects life, bodily integrity, psychic, freedom, seriously compromises the development of his personality and/or harms its financial security”. So much for the definition, but what about the facts?
“Cases of abuse are often detected by the observation of a change”, our Pierre Czernicahow. The Federation has listed the disorders that can put the flea in the ear. Thus, victims of psychological abuse can alert by anxious behavior, changes in mood, attitude, silence. When the violence is physical, there may be unexplained bruises, recent weight loss, lack of hygiene. If the abuse is sexual, the victim may, for example, be unusually agitated during personal hygiene, withdraw into herself. When the abuse is care-related, it may be unadministered treatment or unexplained pressure sores.
We don’t think much about it, but abuse can also be financial or affect rights. This can manifest itself in an unjustified restriction of the person’s visits or movements, but also in unusual withdrawals from their bank account or failure to respect their expressed choices. The president of the Federation nevertheless recalls that for each disorder observed, “an explanation other than abuse is obviously possible”.
Where to turn?
The first instinct is first of all not to keep a doubt, an observation or even a one-off observation to yourself. “The World Health Organization says that in countries where work has been done on the subject, more than 95% of situations of abuse go unreported,” explains Pierre Czernicahow, who admits that France has not data on the subject. The first point of contact may be another witness or the personnel of the establishment: the head nurse of the department, the referring doctor or the director of the establishment.
If the relatives of a potential victim do not obtain satisfactory answers from them, they can then turn to higher authorities. “If it concerns the quality of the patient’s care: presence of bedsores, lack of food… We can turn to the Regional Health Agency. If it is a question of a lack of aid, negligence, such as a lack of toilets or diapers that are not changed regularly, it will rather be the responsibility of the Regional Council, ”says Pierre Czernicahow.
The volunteers of his Federation can also be contacted at number 3977, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to listen to and guide callers as best as possible. The president of the Federation recognizes despite everything that the follow-up given to alerts can be quite variable depending on the regions and departments. Finally, if the ill-treatment observed is of a physical or sexual nature, with, for example, serious injuries, it is obviously advisable to file a complaint directly with the police with a documented file in support.