Best Los Angeles County Investigators for Elder Abuse Cases
Private investigators in Los Angeles County and throughout California are noticing an increase in the demand for elder abuse private investigations. This is partly due to the overall population trends in the United States, as more and more people age into the demographics most vulnerable to elder abuse. A senior citizen becoming less able, over time, to manage their home, finances, medical care, and/or personal hygiene will require help from more and more people to make sure they are kept healthy, safe, and comfortable. California private investigation firms may be hired to conduct an elder abuse investigation when a client suspects one or more of those people may be neglecting, abusing, or otherwise taking advantage of their aging relative. Elder abuse constitutes anything from mismanaging or misallocating an elderly person’s property or finances, to providing insufficient or inappropriate care, and all the way to verbal and/or physical abuse. Even an elderly person aware of the abuse and capable of describing it may not report it, especially if they’ve become afraid of their abuser. To determine if your loved one is suffering elder abuse, a Los Angeles private detective agency like Kinsey Investigations can conduct an elder abuse investigation, get to the bottom of the situation, and gather the necessary evidence to confront those responsible and seek justice for your loved one’s suffering.
California Private Investigator Shares the Signs of Elder Abuse
The United States is one of several countries around the world dealing with the serious implications of an aging population. From economics to healthcare, we’re facing unprecedented challenges at the national level. And as anyone with aging parents or other relatives can tell you, the challenges at the individual level can become complex and overwhelming as well. As our loved ones age and inevitably become less capable of taking care of themselves, their needs for support steadily increase. At first, they may be able to get by with help from family, friends and neighbors, but eventually, they’ll need more and more help from other caregivers, home health aids, nurses, doctors, or even assisted living, medical facilities, and nursing homes. As an elderly person becomes reliant on more and more people for their day-to-day needs, the odds that someone responsible for part of their care won’t have their best interest at heart increase as well.
We hate to think that anyone responsible for our loved ones’ wellbeing would neglect them, take advantage of them, or physically abuse them. The betrayal hits even harder when it’s another family member perpetrating the abuse. Because an older person may become fearful of their abuser, may not be able to speak up for themselves, or may not even realize they’re being victimized, learning to recognize the signs of elder abuse becomes very important.
FINANCIAL ABUSE:
Financial abuse might show up in the form of late or missed bill payments, unexplained financial transactions, or cash/possessions coming up missing. Sometimes, the elderly person may not realize or understand that theft or fraud is being committed against them until they’re already financially ruined.
PHYSICAL ABUSE:
While the signs of physical abuse should be far more visible, they can still be challenging to identify, if the abuser tries to pass off injuries as the result of accidents such as slips and falls, which do become more common as people age. Especially if your aging family member cannot communicate effectively about what’s happening to them, pay careful attention to any injuries you notice. Better safe than sorry, and even if an elder abuse investigation determines they’re not being abused, you should address ways to make sure their daily life remains safe and comfortable for them.
NEGLECT:
Neglect is another form of physical abuse that may not leave marks on the outside but can also profoundly affect your aging relative’s health and wellbeing. You may suspect neglect of your family member if you notice they’ve lost weight, have poor physical hygiene, or are living in unsanitary conditions.
VERBAL ABUSE:
Verbal/emotional abuse is also more difficult to notice from the outside but can devastate someone’s life just as surely. If your elderly loved one seems more depressed or withdrawn, it’s important to be curious about the reasons. Depending on how well they can communicate, ask questions about how they’ve been feeling. Even if they don’t say anything about abuse, look and listen for clues. Ask them about their care and pay attention to their answers. Changes in their attitude toward someone or how often they talk about them could be a sign that the relationship has changed.
Female Private Investigators for Elder Abuse Investigations
Anyone capable of abusing a vulnerable adult is unlikely to admit to their egregious actions, and that’s where a California private investigation firm like Kinsey Investigations comes in. Whenever we take on an elder abuse investigation, our female private investigators know exactly what to look for and how to get the information and evidence necessary to make your case. Some clients call us because they’re not entirely sure whether their aging loved one is being abused or not. Or perhaps, they don’t live in California, but want peace of mind that their relative is being well cared for.
Every elder abuse investigation is different, and our team of female private detectives know just how to go about each one, depending on the specific circumstances. Being a woman also gives our investigators the upper hand in cases like these, because we blend into health care and assisted living settings without arousing much suspicion, and we naturally have the compassion and emotional intelligence to handle sensitive investigations. Your relative’s wellbeing is genuinely important to us. That’s why they call Kinsey Investigations the California private investigations firm with a heart.
If you have reason to suspect that your aging parent or other elderly relative is being abused (or even if you just want to put your mind at ease about their care), give us a call today.
