Recognizing and Reporting Elder Abuse

Not providing proper food is a common elder abuse crime, and it's often the children who should be reported. Rich or poor, this could be your neighbor. 

In California, elders are defined as persons 65 years and older.

Under California law, elder abuse can be both criminal and civil.

Criminal elder abuse occurs where any person who knows that a person is an elder and willfully causes or permits any elder to suffer, or inflicts unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering on the elder. It also covers situations where a person willfully causes or permits the elder to be placed in a situation in which elder’s health is endangered. (Penal Code Section 368)

Civil law defines civil elder abuse to mean physical abuse, neglect, financial abuse, abandonment, isolation, abduction, or other treatment resulting in physical harm or pain or mental suffering. It also means the deprivation by a care custodian of goods or services that are necessary to avoid physical harm or mental suffering. (Welfare & Institutions Code Section 15610.07)

• Physical Abuse:The infliction of physical pain or injury, sexual assault or molestation, or use of physical or chemical restraints for punishment without, or beyond, the scope of a doctor's order.
• Neglect: The failure to fulfill a caretaking obligation such as assisting in personal hygiene, providing food, clothing or shelter, protecting a person from health and safety hazards, or preventing malnutrition.
• Financial Abuse: The illegal or unethical exploitation and/or use of an elder’s funds, property, or other assets.
• Abandonment: The desertion of an elder by someone who is a caregiver.
• Abduction: The removal, without the consent of the conservator, of a conservatee to another state.
• Isolation: The intentional preventing of an elder from receiving mail, telephone calls or visitors.
• Mental Suffering: The infliction of fear, agitation, confusion through threats, harassment or other forms of intimidating behavior.

Report Elder/ Dependent Adult Abuse
(800) 414-2002 
for Santa Clara County 

Learn more:  

• http://elderabuse.stanford.edu/ 
  
• http://canhr.org/factsheets/abuse_fs/html/fs_elderabuse.htm 
  

Get professional help in the home, call Starlight Caregivers https://starlightcaregivers.com/contact-us/