Elder Abuse Awareness Day: What to know

June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that one in six people 60 years and older experienced some form of abuse in community settings during the last year.

(KLFY) -- June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that one in six people 60 years and older experienced some form of abuse in community settings during the last year.

Elder abuse can happen in many forms: physical, sexual, psychological and emotional, financial and material, abandonment, neglect, and serious loss of dignity and respect.

WEAAD's purpose is to promote understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect, the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) wrote on their website. The day was launched in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the WHO at the United Nations.

Louisiana law protects people who are 60 and older from physical and emotional abuse as well as neglect by caregivers.

Some signs of elder abuse include but are not limited to:

• Physical harm, such as pushing, hitting, or restraining the person
• Emotional and verbal bullying
• The caregiver isolating the person or the older person becoming isolated to the point of danger
• Sexual abuse
• Neglect such as not providing for medicine, medical care, food, personal care, or daily needs
• Over-medicating
• Self-neglect
• Stealing or misusing money, property, or the possessions of an elderly person

If you have reasonable cause to believe an older person is being abused or neglected, you should contact Elderly Protect Services (EPS) to make a report.

For more details on Louisiana elder abuse laws and information, read this document from the Louisiana Office of Elderly Affairs.