Paying attention to risk signals around older adults: what family members can do
Neglect or harm toward older adults can occur at home, in hospitals, or in care homes. The perpetrator is often someone the older adult trusts, such as a relative or caregiver. Family members who stay in touch and observe regularly can help identify problems early, but should avoid jumping to conclusions.
Machine translation of our Chinese article, without human translation review. Suggestions concerning China remain specific to China.
Automatically reviewed, without human verification. Programmatic checks are not professional review. Seek professional advice where appropriate. Automatically reviewed on 10/4/2026, 7:14:25 AM
Chinese fact summaries and suggestions for China (not a full translation)
Original: Abuse and neglect of adults at risk (safeguarding) - Social care and support guide - NHS · Original language: en
Read the original ↗
Facts from the sources
Abuse and neglect can happen anywhere, including in one's own home, public places, hospitals, day centres, or care homes. View source
Perpetrators are often people in positions of trust and power, such as health or care professionals, relatives, or neighbours. View source
Online fraud and door-to-door crime are common forms of financial abuse in the UK. View source
Neglect includes no one helping with bathing or changing dirty or wet clothes, no one taking the person when medical care is needed, and no one ensuring medication is taken correctly. View source
People living alone who have little contact with friends, family, or neighbours are at higher risk of abuse in the home. View source
Physical signs of abuse in older adults may include unexplained bruises, wounds, fractures, or other untreated injuries. View source
For older people and families
Visit regularly or make video calls; older adults living alone especially need relatives, friends, and neighbours to maintain regular contact.
Pay attention to unexplained bruises, wounds, or fractures on older adults; ask with concern first, and do not directly accuse.
Note whether the older adult goes a long time without bathing, wears dirty or wet clothes, or has no one to accompany them when medical care is needed.
Pay attention to the older adult's medication use, whether someone helps, and whether it is taken on time and in the correct dose, to avoid wrong or missed doses.
Remind older adults to guard against door-to-door sales and online fraud, and not to easily open the door to strangers or transfer money.
If you suspect an older adult is being mistreated, first listen to the older adult's account, then contact the community or a professional organisation; do not handle it alone.
See what care and community teams can do
Provide training for caregivers, explaining common manifestations of neglect, financial abuse, and physical harm.
Establish home visit or telephone follow-up systems, and increase the frequency of contact for older adults who live alone or have little contact.
Post reporting and help-seeking channels in communities and institutions, explaining where and how concerns can be raised.
Provide staff with communication scripts; when suspicious signs are found, ask in a caring tone, and do not interrogate.
Establish referral procedures with local medical, civil affairs, or judicial institutions; when legal issues arise, leave them to professionals to assess.
Promote fraud-prevention knowledge and remind people of common tactics used in door-to-door and online fraud.
What needs local assessment
The information in this article comes from the UK NHS webpage (last reviewed in 2024-03), for public science reference only. The UK system differs from that in China; it cannot be taken as current policy in China. There are many causes of injuries such as bruises on older adults; one cannot conclude abuse just from seeing signs. Whether something constitutes neglect or abuse needs to be judged by local professionals in light of specific circumstances and standards. For medical and legal issues, please consult qualified institutions. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Information from the NHS website is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This article is an independent Chinese translation and recommendation by this site, and is not an official NHS translation or content approved by it. Licence: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
Sources
UK National Health Service (NHS)Was this article helpful?
Loading feedback…