Elder Abuse Research Paper

Elder abuse includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as neglect, exploitation and abandonment of our older generation (Falk, 2012). The people that cause these injuries include the elderly person’s own family and staff members of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, medical rehabilitation facilities and hospitals (NCOA, 2017). There is approximately 1 in 10 older adults that have experienced some type of elder abuse in the United States (NCOA, 2017). Within these staggering numbers, only 1

In the 1990s, the Elder Abuse Task Force was established by the Secretary of the "U.S. Department of Health and Human Services." The task force developed an action plan for identifying and preventing elder from being mistreated in health care setting. A National Institute on Elder Abuse was established in 1991 as part of the Administration on Aging 's Elder Care Campaign. Adult Protective Service programs now exist in each state to serve vulnerable adults, especially seniors who are at high risk of being abuse and neglect (AMA, 2015). Such actions have been brought to the attention of the public and physician concerning elderly abuse and neglect. Researchers have conducted studies to assess the scope and causes of mistreatment among the elderly (AMA, 2015). Laws have been enacted in each state for physicians and others to report suspected cases. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) for emergency departments and their ambulatory care centers for identifying elder abuse, in addition to domestic violence and child abuse (AMA, 2015).

Although it does not usually make news headlines and is rarely discussed, nursing home residents and the elderly experience abuse sometimes on a daily basis. Medical errors, physical abuse, or stealing from them could all be classified as abuse. All around the world today, a population that is not able to help itself is being harmed, whether it is physical or sexual abuse, exploitation, or not being properly supervised; the elderly and nursing home residents are being abused.

The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse states that 10% of older adults are abused in some way; which is over 160,000 people in Ontario. Elderly abuse is categorized as the violence, mistreatment or neglect of an elderly person by caregivers, service providers, family, or even strangers (Canadian Government). A senior citizen can be abused physically, financially, psychologically, and rarely, sexually. The mistreatment is usually because of the influence a caregiver has over an older adult. The abuse on the elderly can happen in long term care facilities or in the home; it usually goes unnoticed and unreported (Elder Abuse and Neglect). The concern of abuse on the elderly population is a growing issue due to the increasing populace of older people and baby boomers; physical, financial, and emotional abuse are the most common forms. The problem needs to be taken more seriously, the types of abuse may vary, but regardless of the form, abuse among the elderly needs to end.

Elder abuse is a broad topic that includes many different things. Elder abuse refers to the intentional or neglectful acts of “a caregiver, family member, friend, or other individual that leads to, or may lead to, harm of a senior citizen. The various forms of elder abuse include: physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, verbal abuse, and threats, financial abuse and exploitation, sexual abuse,

There is a great gap in understanding elder abuse prevention irrespective of the severity of the matter (Pillemer, Burnes, Riffin & Lachs, 2016). Additionally there are no cost-effective programs implemented to promote elder abuse intervention. However, in understanding the seriousness of the matter, any intervention method currently available calls for all the community members, including the general population and professionals to work together in preventing the prevailing problem. There are proposed frameworks that can mitigate the issue. The first method is the caregiver interventions which offer services to alleviate the burden of taking care of the elderly like in meal preparation and housekeeping (Pillemer, Burnes, Riffin & Lachs, 2016). The other system aims helping individuals vulnerable to financial abuse and these are known as money management programs which help with paying bills and paying for homecare (Pillemer, Burnes, Riffin & Lachs, 2016). Emergency shelter is also a proposed framework that offers a home to the abused individuals thus providing a safe haven to the victims (Pillemer, Burnes, Riffin & Lachs, 2016). Despite of inadequate literature on interventions for elder abuse, it is important that the health care practitioners develop a system that can promote prevention and treatment methods as it is their role to educate the society on what needs to be

Elder abuse is commonly unheard of and may be initially associated with more relatable forms of abuse such as physical, sexual or psychological abuse (Patterson, 2017). However, elder abuse encompasses physical, psychological, sexual, financial, self-neglect and neglectful organised care (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2016a). Furthermore, older adults are at risk if they are socially isolated, discriminated against, afraid, have impaired cognitive function, dementia and impaired judgement or insight (Johannesen & LoGiudice, 2013). Additionally, carer factors contribute to the risk of older adult abuse such as the carer’s psychological state, socioeconomic strain and mental illness (Johannesen & LoGiudice, 2013).

Other at-risk groups include people who are socially isolated and people with mental impairments or dementia. While protecting the victim is of the utmost importance, it is vital to not forget the abuser because they are affected as well. Since most abuse happens at home by family members, that is who I am referring to as the abuser. The stresses of caregiving can be overwhelming. While elder abuse is never an acceptable response to any problem, no matter how stressful, many people who are thrust into the role of caregiving can find themselves ill-equipped for it. At its most innocent stage, a caregiver 's unintentional failure to provide proper care and support because of a lack of understanding or lack of skills is abusive behavior that can threaten the safety and well-being of the older adult, but instead of them being penalized it may be more productive to educate them.

The purpose of this research proposal is to examine the factors that contribute to elder abuse. The aim of the research is to view how the elderly

To better understand the scope of the problem, it is crucial that society knows what is considered as elder abuse and why it is important to resolve this issue. Elder abuse refers to any intentional or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. There are many forms in which an elder can be abused, “Elder Abuse and Neglect” Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services distinguishes between the five most common types of elder abuse as well as their effects and/or common signs and symptoms for each. These types of abuse include physical abuse,

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines abuse towards seniors as, "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person" (World Health Organization, 2017). The mistreatment of elders can take on

The ramifications of elder abuse are serious and varied. Although physical abuse is often talked about, emotional, sexual, verbal and financial abuse are also prevalent. Elder abuse differs from other forms of abuse mainly because many seniors also have financial assets. These assets which may include homes, bank accounts and credit cards make seniors easy prey to unscrupulous and dishonest people. On many occasions seniors fall victim to individuals that they trust and need to continue to live in their homes. These people may be their children, grandchildren, other family members or hired caregivers. This abuse can go unnoticed because the senior no longer goes out into community on a regular basis. They may have lost many friends and associates

Although there are agencies and policies to protect the elderly, elder abuse is prevalent in the United States due to ambiguity, underreporting, and underfunding. In 1994, the National Long Term Care Survey found that over 7 million family members provided 120 hours of care to elders. It is extremely demanding and hard to care for the elderly, which causes stress that can then lead to neglect and/or abuse. In some cases, it is a learned behavior resulting from the perpetrator being a victim of previous abuse (National Research Council 2003). Elderly abuse is found to affect one in ten Americans (Roberto 2016). In 2014, it was estimated that almost 10% of Americans aged 60 or older experienced abuse (O’Brien 2015). Of the few studies that have been conducted, less than 15 were funded by the National Institute on Aging (National Research Council 2003). Results from these studies have indicated that elder abuse is a prevailing social issue that needs attention, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse, for every one case known, there are 24 that are unknown. One of the biggest issues is the ambiguity of elder abuse. There is no solid definition of elder abuse, but it is known that it can be neglect, physical, mental, emotional, financial, and even sexual. Another problem is the complexity when it comes to the elderly, it is hard to distinguish accidents and illnesses from abuse (National Research Council 2003).

The addition of the Elder Justice Act brings some hope for long-term attention to the issue of elder abuse. This country is extremely unprepared for the magnitude of issues that will erupt with the growth of the older population. Healthcare services, community-based and home-based services, and long-term care facilities are going to be seriously taxed over the next 20 years. It is necessary to address elder abuse prevention, education, and intervention thoroughly in the short-term while considerations are somewhat manageable. As stated by Greenlee (2012), “This is not solely a federal issue, this is a national crisis” (p. 8). If we consider the protection of older adults as a national responsibility, it is clear that advocacy and

State of the Problem – Elder Abuse in our country is growing in America. All people have the right to live their lives without abuse, neglects, and being exploitations. It should not matter how old we are everyone has value. The 2004 Survey of State Adult Protective Services, found the following: that a 19.7 percent increase from 2000 – 2004 in the combined total of reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse and there was a 15.6 percent increase from 2000 – 2004 in substantiated cases; and the abuse occurred more than two in five victims which is (42.8%) were age 80 or older; Most alleged perpetrators in 2003 were adult children (32.6%) or other family members (21.5%), and spouses/intimate partners accounted for 11.3% of the total.