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Are you being abused? An abuse checklist

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


Yes No		 Touch you or handle your body in a way that hurts or frightens you?

Yes No		 Refuse to give you the help you need to eat, dress, or go to the bathroom?

Yes No		 Hit you, slap you, or otherwise hurt you on purpose?

Yes No		 Hurt you by being careless when he assists you?

Yes No		 Prevent you from using important things like your glasses, hearing aid, medication, communication device, cane, or wheelchair?

Yes No		 Use belts or straps against your will to prevent you from moving?

Yes No		 Give you too much medication or deny you medication?

Yes No		 Do anything with physical force that may cause bodily injury or pain?

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


Yes No		 Ever touch you in a sexual way that makes you feel uncomfortable?

Yes No		 Ever put pressure on you to engage in any sexual acts?

Yes No		 Deny you sexual information or education (e.g., about birth control, childbirth)?

Yes No		 Force the ideas of abortion or sterilization on you?

Yes No		 Make suggestive comments or looks?

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


Yes No		 Ever threaten you, your loved ones, or your pets?

Yes No		 Call you names, make slurs about your nationality, ethnicity or color, or otherwise insult you?

Yes No		 Isolate you from friends and family?

Yes No		 Deny you the right to make personal decisions by making decisions for you?

Yes No		 Create anguish or distress through verbal or non-verbal acts?

Yes No		 Give you the "silent treatment"?

Yes No		 Harass you, willfully causing anxiety and distress?

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


Yes No		 Steal from you or intentionally damage things that belong to you?

Yes No		 Pressure you to spend money for things you really don't want?

Yes No		 Borrow money or anything else from you and does not repay or return it you?

Yes No		 Deny you access to and control over your own money, misuse your credit cards or ATM ards, or mislead you about your accounts?

Yes No		 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...


Yes No		 Being denied food or being provided food that you are not supposed to have?

Yes No		 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/.

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