Nobody should have to experience abuse, especially not elderly people who are not able to defend themselves. If you believe that your elderly loved ones have been subject to abuse, at home or in a care home, then you must take action. If you’re going to take legal action, however, then you’ll need to prove that your loved one has been abused – your word alone will not be enough. This article will outline a few ways that you can prove that your elderly loved one has been the victim of abuse:

Verbal Testimony From Your Loved One

One of the best pieces of evidence that you can get is verbal testimony from your loved one. Any lawyer that specializes in nursing home abuse litigation will share this opinion as verbal testimony can be very damning in court. However, depending on the age of your loved one, a verbal testimony might not suffice alone. If they suffer from a condition like Alzheimer’s or dementia, then their testimony might not be considered by the judge.

Medical Reports of Injuries

If your loved one has been injured so severely that they have had to see a physician, then you need to get a copy of their medical records. Medical records proving that your loved one has been injured will come in very handy in court. If your loved one is in a care home, then it’ll be very difficult for them to explain how your loved one has been injured.

Timestamped Pictures

As well as medical reports, you should try to get time-stamped pictures of your loved one’s injuries. It can be very difficult to get pictures, however. If your loved one is in a care home, then you probably won’t notice any bruises, cuts, or wounds. If you do notice any injuries, then photograph them immediately. Medical reports and photographs can be very powerful pieces of evidence.

Police Reports

It’s also worth getting a copy of any police reports made when you or the victim call the police. Police reports are statements written by attending officers. They write down what they see, what they’re told, and any other relevant information. You might also be able to get the attending officers to join you in court and give verbal testimony against the person responsible for abusing your loved one.

Broken Household Objects

If your loved one’s abuser has seriously assaulted them, then there’s a chance that they might have broken household objects. Bringing any broken objects along to the police will be very helpful. Broken household objects indicate that your loved one’s abuser lost control and flew into a frenzied rage. However, with elderly people, this rarely happens. Instead, what usually happens is that the abuser begins stealing from them. If this is true in your loved one’s case, then you’ll want to compile as much evidence of theft as you can.

Video Evidence

If your loved one has been telling you that they’re being abused but you haven’t got any hard evidence, then it might be worth setting up a camera and monitoring it whenever your loved one’s carer is alone with them. This is so that you catch them red-handed. However, this can be dangerous. By allowing your loved one’s abuser to continue to see them, you could put them in harm’s way. Each case is different and should be judged according to the circumstances.

Photographs of Your Household

If your loved one has been the victim of a frenzied attack, then you’ll need to take photographs of your household after it has taken place. This, like broken household objects, helps to demonstrate the severity of the attack.

Weapons Used

If your loved one has had weapons used to abuse them, then you should bring them along too. It’s unlikely that the abuser will leave weapons behind, however. If they do, then give them to the police straight away so that they can be used as evidence in court.

Calendar of Abuse

If your loved one claims to have been being abused for a long time, then you should keep a written calendar of every date that they say they have been abused on. This will help if a particular member of staff has been abusing them. The police will be able to check every date on the calendar against staff members’ shift patterns. It’s also very helpful if your loved one can identify the person that is responsible for their abuse. If your loved one has been the victim of abuse, then you must get them the justice that they deserve. Nobody should have to suffer at the hands of an abuser.