Name of state : Texas
Who are the mandated reporters?
In the context of this state, any person is a mandated reporter regarding the elderly abuse. Individuals have the opportunity to report regardless of their gender, economic background, social and political affiliation, as well as age.
Who is exempt from reporting (if applicable)?
Texas laws governing reporting practices of the elderly abuses do not exempt any individual from the act of reporting. From this perspective, this question does not apply to the case of the Texas laws of mandatory reporting.
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What is the definition of an “applicable victim”?
In this context, Texas state laws integrate diverse definitions on the ‘applicable victim.’ In the first instance, these state laws define ‘elderly person’ as an individual who is 65-years-of-age or older. Secondly, ‘disabled person’ refers to an individual with mental, intellectual, or physical, as well as developmental disability, which impairs his or her ability to provide for his care and protection substantially. Thirdly, the state laws determine abuse as the negligent, as well as intentional infliction of injury, intimidation, and cruel punishment generating physical or emotional harm and pain to an elderly or disabled individual. Similarly, the state laws define ‘neglect’ as failure to offer products and services inclusive of the medical services, which are critical in avoidance of physical or emotional harm.
What are the penalties for failing to report?
Failure to report, knowingly, comes out as a Class A misdemeanour, which is punishable by diverse penalties. For instance, failure to report might attract a fine not exceeding $4,000 or a less than a year in jail, or both penalties.
What information is needed for the report?
The report must incorporate name, age, and address of the elderly person, as well as the individual responsible for the elderly. Similarly, the report must contain the nature, as well as extent of the elderly condition and the source of the reporter’s knowledge. There is also room for the reporter to incorporate any other relevant information.
Is there anything particularly helpful and/or harmful about the manner in which your state deals with reporting elder abuse and/or abuse against a person with disabilities?
From the above assessment, it is ideal to note that Texas provides a clear guideline on the mandatory reporting requirements for the elderly. These regulations proves to be helpful for the individuals seeking to report, as well as the elderly experiencing the abuse or negligent, thus, platform for the improvement of their conditions in the society.
