Elder Abuse And Battered Women: Article Analysis

Domestic violence is an epidemic and the number one health concern in our country. There are more abusers and their victims compared to past years. As a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship, domestic violence is used by one person to gain or maintain power and control over another one. It can be physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse and not look the same in every relationship because every relationship is different. This kind of abuse affects people of all ages and sexes, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, education and employment levels. Abuse towards children and the elderly can be violent or aggressive behavior. Thus, there are many types of abuse that one can suffer; awareness of the signs of domestic violence is especially important before getting into any kind of intimate relationship.

It is estimated that one in ten American over the age of 60 are victims of elder abuse each year. Elder abuse is a difficult subject; however, it is a subject that must be addressed. Thousands of senior citizens are being abused or neglected each day in this country. It is everyone’s responsibility to take acts to prevent elder abuse when possible.

Abuse can happen to anyone, but elderly adults residing in nursing homes are more vulnerable and have a higher risk for abuse (Rasansky Law Firm, 2006, para. 1). Elders are among the fastest growing in the population, and because of this many more elderly

Scheidet, R.A. (2003). Improving Student Achievement by Infusing a Web-Based Curriculum into Global History. Journal Of Research on Technology in Education. International Society for Technology in Education, 36(1), 77-94. Retrieved from: Ashford University Library

Each year there is an estimated 4 million elderly Americans that are victims of physical, psychological, or abused in other ways (Elder Abuse and Neglect: In Search of Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/elder-abuse.aspx). There are some cases that get reported to the proper authorities and some cases that do not get reported at all. For the abused elderly people, their lives are put at risk and their health also declines. They feel helpless and lonely and have increased psychological distress and research has suggested that these victims die earlier than those who have not been abused (Elder Abuse and Neglect: In Search of Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/elder-abuse.aspx).

Abuse of the elderly is a common issue, but the aging adults are protected by a federal law known as the “Elder Justice Act”. According to Hillier and Barrow (2011), between 3 percent and 6 percent of people over the age of 65 report being abused. However, elderly abuse is usually not reported, because the abuser is typically a family member. So, the abuse adult will not report the abuse because they are afraid of making the abuser angrier or being isolated (Hillier & Barrow, 2011, p. 328). According to the department of health and human services “The “Elder Justice Act” is the first comprehensive federal legislation to address elder abuse, was signed into law by President Obama in March, 2010 as part of the health care reform act.”

Elder mistreatment is a serious problem in America, yet it often overlooked. Elder abuse is defined as abuse in older adults that includes, but isn’t limited to physical, emotional, financial or sexual abuse. It is a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm. It is often misunderstood and dismissed as just a family matter when in fact, that is the least common source of cruelty amongst the elders. According to the National council of aging, 1 in 10 Americans aged 60 and older have experienced some form of abuse. Some estimates range as high as 5 million elders who are reportedly abused yearly.

It’s hard to say that this type of abuse is only happening in low income area when in fact like most domestic violence cases income level is not a guideline. Elder abuse which is also refer to as elder mistreatment, abuse in later life, this abuse is usually done by a family member, however, it can be anyone that is close to the senior. Abuse can take place in senior facilities such as long-term nursing facilities. Elder abuse includes harms by people the older person knows, or have a relationship with, such as a spouse, partner or family member, a friend or neighbor, or people that the older person relies on for services. Paid caregivers have also been known to prey on their elderly patients. Some families may keep an elderly

A nurse’s moral obligations are undoubtedly “to do good or to implement actions that benefit individuals and their support people.” (Kozier & Erb, p.95, 2017). The noble concept of beneficence requires that nurses must provide an adequate standard of care, whilst effectively working within the best interests of the patient. It is evident from the troubling abuse case of Corey Lucas that he has outright neglected the ethical principles necessary for a nurse to possess while practicing. The lack of beneficence within his care makes him ultimately unfit to practice, and this is best reflected in his violence towards Mr. Hausler.

Domestic violence became a realization and a serious concern in the mid 1970’s for many Americans. “This realization is due to the women advocating on behalf of the battered women movement”

An estimated 700,000 to 1.2 million elders in the United States (U.S.) annually suffer mistreatment at the hands of others or self; 450,000 new cases are identified each year (C, F. N. 2012). Though these numbers are alarmingly high, there really is not much elder abuse awareness. Available information tends to come from small, non-representative samples; agency and caregiver reports; and the criminal justice system (C, F.N. 2012). I actually think that people outside of family members tend to forget about elderly folks that are in these homes and put into such situations. Each year numerous numbers of older adults experience abuse, neglect, and exploitation by those who are expected to safeguard them and protect their interests.

Elders in the United States should not have to go through situations of abuse like the one Mildred Mortenson suffered. However, this type of situations happen more often than they should and sadly, there is not enough being done to prevent it. Elder abuse should be recognized as an increasing and very serious problem in our society. As elders grow more physically frail and begin to depend on others to meet their basic needs, they tend to become vulnerable to intentional abuse and neglect within their own home as well as assisted living facilities such as nursing homes. Unfortunately, it is not possible to know exactly how many elders are being abused across the Nation. Due to under-reporting, variations in the definition of elder abuse,

As learned from the video clip, “Adult Protective Services & Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse,” (C-Dub Productions, 2012), elder abuse is a crime that is affecting our communities regardless of economic, language or financial status. Elders and dependent adults are among the most vulnerable. They experience all types of abuse, physical neglect, and financial scams. It is worrying that adults being as much or more exposed to abuse as children are not protected. Older people are often isolated; they do not seek help or talk about the abuse they are facing. Sometimes elders put their pride before anything else. The feeling of shame often results in elder abuse remaining hidden.

Domestic violence used to be considered a private family matter and was not considered a societal problem until feminists in the 70's started pushing the matter. Beginning in the 1970’s, social policy toward female victims of domestic assaults focused on improving legal response and

Domestic violence is a complex issue that plagues society regularly. Judicial systems all over the United States have attempted to create regulations to protect victims of domestic abuse. Furthermore, scattered scarcely throughout the United States are non-profit and small organizations which attempt to supplement the judicial protection with additional resources. Nevertheless, domestic abuse seems to be much bigger than any services these systems can maintain. Victims of domestic violence suffer with harmful issues even judicial and non-profit systems have yet to overcome and as society advances, even more issue seem to arise.