Follow
Share

My grandmother has recently been beating on grandfather. Three police reports have been filed over this but they both refuse to leave and he will not go against her. I have called the department of aging and social services I have had her 302'd and still nothing has been done about this. I need advice before it's too late

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
What you should do is take Grandmother to her primary doctor and explain to him/her what is going on.

It could be something as simple as an Urinary Tract Infection which can cause elders to act out and sometimes become violent. The URI test is easy and there are antibodies that can cure the UTI.

Or does Grandmother have Alzheimer's/Dementia? There are phases where such behavior can show up. And none of this is Grandmother's fault, her brain is broken and sadly there isn't anything to fix it.... but there are meds to calm Grandmother down.

I give a lot of credit to your Grandfather, he must love your Grandmother dearly to put up with her hitting him. He probably knows something isn't quite right, so he continues to stand by her side.

So, instead of calling the police, call her doctor.
Helpful Answer (7)
Report

There is nothing like enough information provided by the original poster to give advice.

We don't know who is caring for whom, we don't know who witnessed the abuse or indeed whether or not it took place, we don't know what the underlying conditions are.

How do you know the OP hasn't seen bruises and assumed that they're the result of blows rather than falls? How do you know that the grandfather isn't attempting to continue to care for his demented wife? - since she's the one the OP had committed, and who was then released home without further action, it sounds to me as if he's the caregiver. Or is the demented wife the one you want prosecuted?

I hope the OP will come back with more information, and I hope it will be possible to get help to the elderly couple.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

I'm very sorry your having this issue. My Grandmother became very rough w my Grandfather after he'd had a stroke and paralyzed one side. She just wasn't careful to make sure his hands were inside wheel chair going through door ways and sometimes hateful. I've never witnessed her being anything but a great wife and good to all. He had always been controlling and overbearing. We all felt she was just finally able to let out resentment and frustrations from years of his ways. They loved each other and rarely spoke unkindly of the other. We went to church w them as kids every Sunday. Certainly her behavior wasn't acceptable but we never knew what to do. It wasn't to extent your dealing with....I agree about checking for UTI. ALSO, has anyone ask her why and what was her response?
Will keep your family in my thoughts. I pray this will resolve soon and peacefully.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

Please contact an eldercare attorney for a consult. See what you can do legally as clearly your grandmother is a definite threat to "others". Your grandfather's primary care physician may be able to also refer you to a geriatric psychiatrist who could see your grandparents and make recommendations for medication for your grandmother or assist you in documenting your grandmother's abusiveness which would enable you to have the police, the court, or the attorney remove your grandfather from the home and force your grandmother to get professional help. Their PCP may also be of assistance in documenting any injuries or statements of abuse by your grandfather. Please don't give up. You are definitely doing the right thing.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

I agree with freqflyer - call her doctor - today - now.

She might need a mood enhancer - some of them are very safe and don't zone them out. I worried about Ray going onto Zoloft but really, all it did was calm him down from his constant worrying.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Alrubes, are you still on-line? It's been 10 days since your wrote your original post and we haven't back from you. Hope everything is alright.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

This is a form of elder abuse, and you need to report it now before she kills him, and it may be the next blow that does him in. I'm speaking as a survivor who barely survived childhood and lost a sister to physical abuse, so I know what I'm talking about. This abuse is actually an endless vicious cycle that won't ever end because she won't stop until he's dead. If you don't believe me, why don't you study online about it and see for yourself? Just google abuse signs and then even abuse cycle and research it in separate searches. Watch all of the YouTube videos on this, YouTube is very informative if you know how to seek out the good stuff and weed out the trash

Right now, you need to save this man's life by taking the initiative to protect him for his own safety. You obviously know about the abuse, now do something or you're just as bad as the abuser. When you see something, your required by law to say something or the authorities will be looking at you as a possible suspect or even an accomplice. You're actually required by law to report elder abuse because you're automatically a mandated reporter by law. That means when you see something and no something is going on like you're describing, you're required to report it or you can get in serious trouble.
You need to not only make a police report, but try recording the very next incident. Most modern cell phones have built-in cameras that are also capable of taking video. There are so few phones without cameras, but if you have one with a recording feature, use it! Also take pictures of any marks, missing hair, etc. left behind by the physical abuse you told us about. Now, call the cops and have her arrested and a restraining order put against her so she can't come back when she's released. While she's in jail, you may want to get emergency custody of your g-dad and also show that particular video along with any other pictures of the abuse to the APS, and an eldercare lawyer who can help you gain an emergency custody of him. She definitely needs to face the music for what she's done because he's in eminent danger. 

I'll tell you the truth right here and now even if you don't want to hear the truth, it doesn't change the truth. If I were given this particular situation and I was there and actually saw someone being beaten, I would step in and try to separate the two but I would aggressively grab the attacker and physically throw that abuser right out the door even if I must pick them up by the seat of the pants and the scruff of their shirt and physically throw them out like  you throw out the trash. I have no use for abuse of any kind, especially not physical abuse, and I will aggress against any attacker beating on a vulnerable person. What drives my hatred toward abusers attacking vulnerable people is the fact that I lost my only bio sister and I  barely survived. The reason why people don't mess with me much is because I'm dynamite in an unexpected package because I don't put up with crap. People tend to scatter once they find out what's really inside this package. This is also what drives me to be an advocate for the less fortunate and the most vulnerable because I myself have been there. I don't know whether you have what it takes to actually defend someone but even if you're a coward, you can at least pick up the phone and use your mouth if you even have a heart. Even if picking up the phone and using your mouth is all you can do, then do it but don't shy away from the situation because your involvement is required by law. Even most cowards have some level of ability to break up a fight, it's the heartless ones who don't. If you happen to be one of those bald ones, just pick up the attacker by the scruff and seat-of-the-pants and physically throw her out the door, because this really is a life-and-death emergency when she's attacking someone vulnerable, and that's what burns me up being an abuse survivor myself.  In fact, I know people commonly throw out the aggressor, we even had a dispute at one of our local funeral homes many years ago. The funeral director and owner ended up grabbing the aggressor who was physically attacking someone and pick them up by the seat of the pants and the scruff of his jacket, carried him through the parlor and physically threw him out the door. This is exactly what I would do in your case, (but I wouldn't be near as nice about it as this funeral director was). If she insists on attacking a vulnerable person then she's strong enough to be thrown out the door by the seat of the pants. If she won't leave then physically throw her out the door because she's the one that needs to leave, he's done nothing wrong. Don't kick him out and punish him for what she's doing, the one doing the wrong is the one who needs to be out the door and even in jail for as long as absolutely possible
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

It sounds as though grandma is caring for the old man if she is pushing him around in a W/C. Airubes are there other family members who could help you intervene? 

Grandma may be very angry that her formally controlling husband has suddenly turned her into a caregiver with all that entails.

Grandpa has every right to refuse to leave the home as long as he is of sound mind.
Is grandma demented? has she been diagnosed?

Certain people like healthcare professionals and teachers are mandated reporters certainly for children. I am not sure of the law about the elderly but it is certainly the responsible thing to do. It can be done anonymously.

Have you tried giving grandma a break by helping in the home? It is all very well to look through the window and critisize.
How old are the grandparents and are you an adult yourself? Do they have other adult relatives?
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

I missed the bit about grandmother and the wheelchair, Veronica - unless, are you looking at Alicia's post, though, rather than the OP's?
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Think you are right CM I was thinking of Alicia's post. Sorry
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter