Negligence
Negligence is a type of abuse that occurs for individuals who are dependent on assistance, such as the elderly, children or people with a disability. It is negligence when a person does not receive the assistance they need in order to feel well.
Negligence can be at the hand of a relative or caretaker and can occur within a home or nursing home.
- The elderly often need increased assistance in their old age, like with medication or visits to a health care center. It is negligence when a caretaker does not tend to those needs.
- People with a disability often need specialized assistance with daily tasks. It is negligence when people with a disability are injured or need assistance due to illness and do not receive assistance. The same applies when people with a disability need to get between places and do not receive the agreed services.
- Children are in the custody of parents and it is negligence if a child is poorly dressed, does not receive medication or enough to eat.
Individuals who are neglected often experience helplessness, fear, anger, anxiety and depression. They have a fear of not being in control of their own lives which makes them less likely to report negligence. It is very important to always report negligence because everyone has the right to feel well.
It may be negligence if the person:
- Trivializes your need for something to drink or eat.
- Ignores your requests for assistance to get to the toilet.
- Doesn’t answer you when you speak.
- Doesn’t give you your medication at the appointed time.
- Doesn’t care if you are wearing dirty or wet clothes.
- Doesn’t take you to a doctor if you need it.
- Doesn’t pick you up as was agreed.
Get help
It is always better to tell someone how you feel. If you want assistance you can contact Bjarkarhlíð or Bjarmahlíð in Akureyri, which specialize in support for adults dealing with any type of abuse. It doesn’t matter how long ago the abuse took place.
Children and adults can always speak to someone at 1717 (the Red Cross help-line) or contact 112 by phone or through internet chat.
