Elder Abuse Research Paper

With the thought of our grandparents, one commonly thinks how the end of their lives will be handled, and how they will be taken care of in the event that one cannot provide care. In most cases, this means placement into a nursing or elderly care facility, but with these come the deadly possibility of elder abuse. Statistics about elder abuse show: “30% of nursing homes in the US- 5,283 facilities- were cited for almost 9,000 instances of abuse over a two year period” (Ruppe) Most people do not even understand what elder abuse means. The seven main types of abuse include: physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial/material exploitation, neglect, sexual abuse, self-neglect, and abandonment (Sellas M.D).

There are many broad and different definitions of elder abuse, and different forms and ways to deal with it. Elder abuse consists of “intentional or neglectful acts of a caregiver, family member, friend, or other individuals that lead to, or may lead to, harm of a senior citizen” (Elder Abuse Facts, 2016). One of the biggest problems we face when looking at this policy is that elder harm and abuse can happen practically anywhere. Elder abuse can happen in a private setting; in their own homes committed by their own family members (Help Guide, 2014, p.1). But it can also happen in a care center, with lots of people living in close proximity to them.

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

One way elder abuse or elder mistreatment can be defined is, “intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm, whether or not intended, to a vulnerable elder by a caregiver or other person who stands in a trust relationship to the elder” (Bonnie & Wallace). There are seven main forms of elder abuse which include emotional, physical, psychological, sexual, financial, neglect, abandonment, and self-neglect (Cohen, Levin, Gagin & Friedman, 2007; Fulmer, 2008; Thompson & Priest, 2005). Even though only 6.2% of victims are abused in long-term care settings, my experience of witnessing neglect and abandonment are very serious (Teaster et al., 2006).

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).

Elder abuse is a growing concern in today’s modern society and will continue to cause concern the future. It is best to be aware of the many forms of elder abuse, the hardest of these to detect is elder financial abuse, as it hardly leaves any trace. Those that take advantage are commonly known family members or caregivers. The lack of reporting is due to many different reasons that affect the elderly’s life and well

A current ethical issue is elder abuse. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2015) defines mistreatment of the elderly, as “any single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring in any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or discomfort to an older person.” A distinction of elder abuse compared to domestic violence, sexual assault or fraud is that “elder mistreatment implies that the recipient of the mistreatment is in a situation or condition in which the ability to protect oneself is limited in some way” (Touchy & Jett, 2012, p. 401). Elder abuse represents a serious social problem, which is only on the rise because of the longevity and increased dependence of some elders (Martins, Neto, Andradea, & Albuquerquea, 2014).

Elderly abuse and neglect is a social problem that is often under-reported and under-detected. As many as one in four elderly persons have been a victim of some type of abuse or neglect. The elderly patient has three options when facing decisions on how to care for themselves during their later years: the person can live on their own and remain self-sufficient; the person can have a care giver, often some family member or paid personnel to assist them with daily living; or the person can reside in a personal care home where there is either part-time or full-time care provided. Abuse and/or neglect can occur in all three of these settings. As primary care providers, it is the nurse practitioner’s responsibility to not only recognize signs of

Elder abuse has been present in our society in the past times; however, it has been the hidden problem and under recognized by our community. It is really challenging for people to understand the severity of this problem unless one encountered it in one’s life. Society began to really acknowledge this issue because of the cases that have been reported. There are varieties of categories of elder abuse that are reportable to a healthcare provider; however, many cases are still left unreported and elder victims continue to suffer from mistreatment. The seniors that surround us have contributed to our community and to the great things that we now have. These people should be recognized and protected in all areas of life instead

Elder abuse is linked to significant health issues, such as increased morbidity and premature mortality (Baker, Francis, Hairi, Othman, & Choo, 2016). Another type of maltreatment of older people is neglect, which is defined as a lack of action by a caregiver required to meet the needs of an older adult, such as withholding medications or medical treatment, and not providing adequate food, clothing, shelter, or hygiene (“County of Riverside,”

The issue of elder abuse and neglect is a significant health care issue, that need to be brought to the attention of society. Seniors who stay at home or in nursing homes are at more risk. Nurses should be aware of the signs and symptoms as well as resources in the community. By having a better understanding of these issues, nurses can recognize problems and help prevent the devastating effects of elderly abuse.

Elder mistreatment is also called elder abuse. This could entail a single or repeated act of refusing to do something by a caregiver. Every year, hundreds of thousands of our elders are abused, neglected, and exploited. Elder abuse and neglect is more common than we think it is. Elder abuse includes intentional, unintentional and neglectful acts by family members, care givers and even close friends. Elder abuse includes physical abuse, negligence, financial exploitation, physiological abuse, and deprivation of basic necessities, isolation from friends and family and even withholding medication. Like many other forms of abuse, this type of abuse becomes a family secret. Sadly 1 out of every 10 elders are abused or neglected. We must become

The elderly population is faced with many challenges as they age. One of the challenges is elder abuse. Globally, elderly abuse is a major social problem that has worsened over time. Physical, sexual, emotional or psychological and financial abuses are some of the forms of abuse the elderly population are subject to. Has memory problems such as dementia, lack of support and physical disabilities are some causes or risk factors of elderly abuse. The consequences of such abuse going unresolved is have health issues, such as depressions, anxiety, stress, long term-psychological issues and even death. Moreover, “elderly abuse is often defined as a repeated or single act, or lack of appropriate action, that happens in any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes distress, injury, or suffering to an older person” (Kilvik et. al., 2015). The prevalence of Elder abuse is that of a world-wide issue caused by perpetrators, such as family members, friends, healthcare professionals, relatives and strangers. Interventions and prevention measures are put into place to help older adults suffering from the after math of abuse. As the elderly population grow, elder abuse increases. what are the different forms of elderly abuse? What are the various risk factors of elder abuse?

This brief essay examines two issues that affect the elderly directly: elder abuse and the need for end of life planning. The elderly need protection from abuse and should take steps to plan for their eventual demise.