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Are you being abused? An abuse checklist

Are you being physically abused? Does your personal assistant...

	Touch you or handle your body in a way that hurts or frightens you?
	Refuse to give you the help you need to eat, dress, or go to the bathroom?
	Hit you, slap you, or otherwise hurt you on purpose?
	Hurt you by being careless when he assists you?
	Prevent you from using important things like your glasses, hearing aid, medication, communication device, cane, or wheelchair?
	Use belts or straps against your will to prevent you from moving?
	Give you too much medication or deny you medication?
	Do anything with physical force that may cause bodily injury or pain?

Are you being sexually abused? Does your personal assistant...

	Ever touch you in a sexual way that makes you feel uncomfortable?
	Ever put pressure on you to engage in any sexual acts?
	Deny you sexual information or education (e.g., about birth control, childbirth)?
	Force the ideas of abortion or sterilization on you?
	Make suggestive comments or looks?

Are you being mentally (emotionally) abused? Does your personal assistant...

	Ever threaten you, your loved ones, or your pets?
	Call you names, make slurs about your nationality, ethnicity or color, or otherwise insult you?
	Isolate you from friends and family?
	Deny you the right to make personal decisions by making decisions for you?
	Create anguish or distress through verbal or non-verbal acts?
	Give you the "silent treatment"?
	Harass you, willfully causing anxiety and distress?

Are you being financially abused? Does your personal assistant...

	Steal from you or intentionally damage things that belong to you?
	Pressure you to spend money for things you really don't want?
	Borrow money or anything else from you and does not repay or return it you?
	Deny you access to and control over your own money, misuse your credit cards or ATM ards, or mislead you about your accounts?
	Pressure you to sign papers that you do not understand or have not read (such as Durable Power of Attorney), or putting them on your bank account?

Are you being neglected? Are you...

	Being denied food or being provided food that you are not supposed to have?
	Not getting the personal or medical care that you need?

If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, your PA is being abusive towards you, though the PA may not be aware that he is behaving abusively. These questions also apply to relationships and interactions you may have with anyone, not just your PA. No one should treat you abusively, and it is up to you to take steps to end the abuse.

This questionnaire is adapted from Consumer Rights for Long Term Care Services, Catherine Frazee, Ed., (1998). Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy.

Tools > Abuse Checklist

This tool is part of InfoUse's Working Together, a website for consumers of personal assistance services. http://www.infouse.com/pas/.