Elder abuse rarely looks dramatic from the outside. It's more often neglect than violence, an elderly resident whose meals have become irregular, whose medication isn't being managed properly, or who is being isolated from visitors by a caregiver who has grown resentful or overwhelmed.
Signs worth noticing as a neighbour include: unexplained weight loss or a decline in personal hygiene, an elderly resident who seems newly reluctant to have visitors, unexplained bruising, or a caregiver who becomes evasive when asked simple questions about how their relative is doing.
We're not positioned to intervene directly in every case, but we can connect a concerned household to the right support, and often a home visit and a conversation is enough to ease a caregiver's burden before neglect sets in. If you're worried about an elderly neighbour, reaching out to us is a reasonable first step.