If you are not getting the help, care, or food that you need, there’s a good chance that you are being neglected. This is especially true if someone said that they would do these things for you. Neglect is a very common form of elder abuse.
Here is an example of neglect:
Mary lived with her husband Frank for 31 years. She did not drive and her husband handled all of the bill paying. After Frank died, she needed help with many things around the house. Her niece Sarah agreed to move in and help out. Sarah helped with cleaning, cooking, and bill paying for several weeks, but then she stopped buying any groceries. And then the power was shut off because she wasn’t paying the bills. Mary was not sure what was happening with her money. Sarah threatened to send Mary to a home if she tried to get help from anyone else. Legal Services for the Elderly helped Mary get her niece out of the house, and the local Area Agency on Aging helped her find a trusted caregiver to help her stay in her home.