Abuse, neglect, exploitation defined
The following glossary contains the commonwealth of Virginia's definitions of abuse, mental anguish, unreasonable confinement, neglect, and exploitation:
Abuse is willful infliction of physical pain, injury, or mental anguish, or unreasonable confinement.
Mental anguish is a state of emotional pain or distress resulting from the activity (verbal or behavioral) of a perpetrator. The intent of the activity is to threaten or intimidate, cause sorrow or fear, to humiliate or ridicule. There must be evidence that it is the perpetrator's activity that has caused the adult's feelings of pain and/or distress.
Unreasonable confinement means the use of restraints (physical or chemical), isolation, or any or means of confinement without medical orders, when there is no emergency and for reasons other than the adult's safety or well-being or the safety of others.
Neglect means that an adult is living under such circumstances that he/she is not able to provide for him/herself or is not being provided such services as are necessary to maintain physical and mental health and that the failure to receive such necessary services threatens the adult's well-being. Neglect includes the failure of a caregiver or some other responsible person to provide for basic needs to maintain the adult's physical and mental health and well-being; it includes the adult's neglect of self. Neglect includes:
· lack of clothing;
· lack of food;
· shelter that is not structurally safe, has rodents or infestations, does not have a safe and accessible water supply, heat source or sewage disposal;
· inadequate supervision by a caregiver;
· failure of caregiver to seek needed medical care or follow medically prescribed treatment.
Exploitation is illegal use of an incapacitated adult or his resources for another's profit or advantage.
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