Family Abuse In Later Life

Family members can hurt us in many ways and at any age, whether we are sick or healthy. We can be hurt through physical, emotional and financial abuse or neglect. Abuse can happen to anybody. It doesn’t matter where we live, what race we are or what income or religious group we belong to. Someone we love can hurt us.

Some Of The Ways Family Members Can Hurt Us:

• Control what we do, who we see or where we go
• Make threats (such as to leave or put us in a nursing home)
• Call us names
• Manipulate our medication
• Steal money or things from us
• Hurt our pets
• Hit, shake, push, burn or choke us
• Force us to perform sexual acts
• Isolate us from friends or family

Is There A Pattern?

When family members hurt us over and over again, it may indicate a desire to have power over us and control what we say and do. This type of family abuse in later life, also known as domestic violence in later life, occurs when we are hurt by people over time. We do not have to be physically hurt for this abuse to affect us. Many times the control is emotional, leaving no bruises or marks.