Elder abuse is a serious issue

In the United States, an aging population and the increase in home elderly care, adult day care, and assisted living centers means that more people are relying on others to care for their parents, grandparents, and friends. With children, people tend to take more precaution and are concerned with abuse. However, spiraling rates of elder mistreatment are reported by both practitioners and researchers. As noted by the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse:

There were 253,421 reports of abuse of adults age 60+ or 832.6 reports for every 100,000 people over the age of 60.  The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study (National Center on Elder Abuse, 1998) found that more than 500,000 persons aged 60+ were victims of domestic abuse and that an estimated 84% of incidents are not reported to authorities, denying victims the protection and support they need. Elder abuse is estimated to cost Americans tens of billions of dollars annually in health care, social services, investigative and legal costs, and lost income and assets. 

Obviously, people should take this issue as seriously as child care or child abuse. Like child abuse, the warning signs are similar. Here are just a few, courtesy of the National Center of Elder Abuse:

·         Physical Abuse - Slap marks, unexplained bruises, most pressure marks, and certain types of burns or blisters, such as cigarette burns

·         Neglect - Pressure ulcers, filth, lack of medical care, malnutrition or dehydration

·         Emotional Abuse - Withdrawal from normal activities, unexplained changes in alertness, or other unusual behavioral changes

·         Sexual Abuse - Bruises around the breasts or genital area and unexplained sexually transmitted diseases

·         Financial Abuse/Exploitation - Sudden change in finances and accounts, altered wills and trusts, unusual bank withdrawals, checks written as “loans” or “gifts,” and loss of property

The challenge that many people face, both with child and elder abuse, is that the abuse is often difficult to identify and goes unreported by the abused. With elders in particular, they may live in assisted living centers in communities where no immediate family is available. Consequently, the ability for family members to “keep tabs” on the care given by providers is reduced. Alternatively, they may live with a family member who does not provide adequate care or is emotionally abusive.

Of course, this is a sensitive subject. However, assessments of care centers and investigations into potential abuse by relatives should not be avoided. While there are many resources available once abuse has been identified, there are not many resources available to people who simply suspect abuse.

One available resource is a local private investigator. Utilizing a wide variety of investigative skills and expertise, along with some rights and privileges provided by state licensure, private investigators can give clients knowledge and assurance that a loved one is properly cared for. Here are just a few things a private investigator can do:

·         Conduct pre-care investigations into companies or individuals.

·         Provide consistent “assessment checks” to assure that the quality of service, cleanliness, employee morale, and mental and physical health of those being cared for has not declined. (This is a particular good option when families do not nearby.)

·         Conduct full investigations and surveillance into suspicions or knowledge of ongoing abuse.

If you suspect that someone you know may be suffering from elderly abuse and would like to know more about what a private investigator can do to assist you, please contact me for a free consultation. You can hold care providers legally and civilly accountable for their mistreatment, neglect, or abuse of the elderly. 

Answering some frequently asked questions

As noted in several blog entries, people may need an investigator for a variety of reasons. Hiring a private investigator can be overwhelming for someone who has never done so. Whenever I receive a call from a potential client, he or she frequently asks the following: "I have never needed an investigator before in my life. I would like to know how your services work, how much it costs, and what information do you need from me?" In this short post, I would like to answer these questions and present a few things that are important to consider when hiring a professional investigator.

How do your services work? When you hire any private investigator, he or she will ask you to sign an agreement for services. Within this agreement, your rights and his or her responsibilities will be specifically outlined. It is important that you read this document. I have made it a policy to present this information directly on the front page of my website. I feel that it is important that my clients understand that I am serious about our relationship and they are not surprised by any hidden fees. Almost all private investigators, like other legal professionals, require a retainer. This is essentially a refundable deposit that demonstrates that you have the financial means to pay for services rendered. Whenever any service is performed—and my company’s policy is to obtain permission from the client before performing a service—the payment is deducted from the retainer. Typically, private investigators will charge an hourly rate for surveillance-related activities and will charge flat fees for information gathering and document production. However, there are several services that are charged both at an hourly rate, plus additional feed. All of these, of course, are specified in the contract.

Services work best when there is quality communication between the client and the investigative agency. A quality investigator will be able and willing to explain the importance of a service before performing it. He or she will also always avoid ethically questionable or illegal practices. Every case is different, of course, so I cannot be specific about investigative practices without hearing your case. However, I think that by understanding clearly the business-related matters my clients feel comfortable with my approach to investigations.

How much does it cost? It is always difficult to answer this question because every case is different. If you can provide more intelligence in the beginning, this may save some costs. If the target of an investigation is very active or “sloppy,” important evidence may be obtained quickly and the overall cost of an investigation may be reduced. On the other hand, an investigation requiring more investigators, intelligence gathering, and technical expertise will likely increase the total cost of an investigation. It is my policy, however, to charge my clients the same hourly rate. This is all described in our contract, which is available on our website (www.investigateworldwide.com). This means that we, unlike several investigators, do not first “size up the client” and charge a higher hourly rate to those who seem to have greater financial resources. Our clients also do not have to worry about us quoting a lower rate but charging for more services. In short, I have made it a policy to be transparent. While I would like to be hired by readers, I know that you will shop around. At the very least, an investigator should be willing to provide for you a price list of services. If she or he cannot, you ought to consider whether you are getting a fair deal.

What information do you need from me? Understandably, many people who need to hire a private investigator do not want to give too many details when initially speaking to a private investigator. Nevertheless, certain details are necessary to get a better understanding of a case so that I can give a reasonable estimate of the type of services needed to be successful. Additionally, understanding the need of a client or the patterns of behavior of a potential target can help develop a better understanding of what will be required to produce successful results. This is why it is likely you’ll have to give some details during the initial phone conversation about the case. If you do decide to hire a private investigator you’ll obviously have to disclose some personal information so that we can enter into a legal relationship and provide any evidence or materials that will enhance the investigation and reduce the overall costs. As noted in the agreement, however, privacy is an important issue and we will reasonably, within the parameters of the law, protect your identity and any evidence produced during an investigation. You should feel comfortable with whomever you hire and by choosing someone who is licensed, you’ll know that you’re hiring someone who is regulated by your state’s Department of Public Safety. I hope that my company, United International Investigations, will make you feel confident that your case is being handled by professionals.