Kentucky Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is not just based on hitting there are many different types of abuse such as: physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, psychological abuse, financial abuse and neglect. Estimates show that 4-6% of the elderly are being abused. In 1996, twenty years ago, 450,000 elderly experienced abuse nationwide. This is a very high number of elders being abused that can’t defend themselves.

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).

The abuse can be physical, emotional or psychological, sexual, or financially and can be intentional or unintentional neglect from the caregiver (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). Physical abuse can range from shoving, severe beatings, and restraining them with ropes or chains (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). Physical abuse can also include the inappropriate use of medications and physical restraints and physical punishment of any kind (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). Verbal abuse can range from name calling, silent treatment, to intimidating and threatening the person (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). If the caregiver, whether family or not, acts in a manner that causes fear, mental anguish, emotional pain or distress, this behavior can be regarded as

The third study provided a synthesis of previous literature on elder abuse in long-term care facilities within the last decade (Castle et al., 2015). Therefore, this study covers the years 2003 through 2012 (Castle et al., 2015). The study included analysis of 88 articles pertaining to elder abuse. This review study searched MEDLINE and the CINAHL databases for information pertaining to elder abuse in nursing homes (Castle et al., 2015).

Abuse is intentionally causing physical pain, injury, or mental anguish to another. It can also be the lack of providing proper care (Nancy L. Falk, Judith Baigis, & Catharine Kopac, 2012). The perpetrator can be anyone, family member, friends, strangers, or even other healthcare professionals. According to the Elder Abuse Forensic Center (Elder Abuse Forensic Center, n.d.), mistreatment of individuals 65 and over can take the form of physical, sexual, emotional/verbal, and/or financial abuse, or any combination thereof, as well as neglect and self-neglect. Each of the categories will be discussed in the following paragraphs with a scenario.

“Evidence suggests that one in 10 older adults experiences some form of elder abuse, but only one in 25 cases is reported to social services agencies” (Dong, 2012, p. 2151). Elder mistreatment can occur in a variety of settings including domestic and assisted living. Elder abuse includes psychological, physical, and sexual abuse; neglect to include both caregiver and self-neglect; and financial exploitation. With the vast explosion of the aging population in today’s society elder abuse can no longer loom in the shadows.

Elder Abuse is one of the single most important issues affecting the elder population in

According to a 2012 report by Statistic Brain (based on NCEA, Bureau of Justice Statistics), the number of elder abuse cases in 2010 was 9.5% of the elderly population. The percentages of elder abuse cases by types reported in (Watson, 2013). 2010 include: neglect (58.5%), physical abuse (15.7%), financial abuse (12.3%), psychological abuse (7.3%), sexual abuse (0.04%), all other types (5.1%), and unknown (0.06%) (Statistic Brain, 2012). Elder abuse occurs in private homes, long-term care facilities (nursing homes, assisted living facilities), and hospitals (Watson,

When I first started the research on sexual elderly abuse I know that it happens but didn’t know the extent of the finding until now how much emotional, physical, sexual, and financial mistreatment and potential neglect that our elderly endure. Elder sexual abuse is understudied and rarely understood. It is difficult to seek justice for elderly sexual abuse because the victims are over the age of 60 and frequently have medical conditions such as loss of memory, communication problems, or confusion as while as finding the perpetrators who maybe attendants, employees of care facilities, family members including spouses, and others. Facility residents sometimes assault fellow residents while the majority

In general, elder abuse refers to any knowing, intentional or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. All fifty states have laws of some form that prohibit elder abuse. Sadly, we do not know exactly how many elderly suffer from neglect and abuse. Although, statistics show female elders are abused at a higher rate than males. The elderly person may be hesitant to report the abuse because of lack of physical ability to report or fear or retaliation. Most of the time, the abusers are family members. Family members who use a lot drugs or alcohol, have a mental illness, and who feel burdened by their caregiving responsibilities are more likely to be abusive. About 5.1 million Americans over the age of 65 have

The definition of elder abuse also includes the failure of any caregiver; as they do not satisfy the needs of an elder or protect them from any harm (NCEA, 2012, p. 1). In accordance to a 2012 report (based on NCEA, Bureau of Justice Statistics), the number of elder abuse cases in 2010 was 9.5% of the elderly population. Along were the different types of elder abuse and their percentages. In 2010 the types of abuse were reported as: neglect (58.5%), physical abuse (15.7%), financial abuse (12.3%), psychological abuse (7.3%), sexual abuse (0.04%), all other types (5.1%), and unknown (0.06%) (Statistic Brain, 2012). Typically these horrific cases of abuse take place in private homes, long-term care facilities (nursing homes, assisted living facilities), and hospitals. Roughly 1 out of 14 reported cases of elder mistreatment took place in the victim’s domestic setting (e.g., home) while physical abuse was identified as the most common type of abuse in nursing homes. (Elder-law.law, 2013). It has been reported that for every one case of elder mistreatment brought to the attention of authorities, roughly five cases go unreported due to the victim’s loyalty or fear of their abuser; shame for being reliant on the abuser; or being unaware about existing services that can help them. Since elder abuse is so poorly recognized a lot of people fail to realize that it is a lot more involved than just physical abuse. Elder abuse can be filed into the following

Elder abuse isn’t an easy topic to talk about—but it happens too often to continue to turn a blind eye too. According to the National Council of Aging (2016), also known as the NCOA, one in every ten Americans, over the age of 60, have experienced some form of elder abuse, with only one in every fourteen cases being reported to authorities. NCOA (2016) defines elder abuse and neglect as “intentional actions that cause harm or creates serious risk of harm to a vulnerable elder by a caregiver or another person in a trusted relationship” with the individual. This includes failure, of the caregiver, to satisfy the basic needs or to protect in the individual from harm along with physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and financial exploitation.

Emotional abuse – is a type of abuse that cause psychological or emotional pain, anxiety, or distress. It can be verbal such as yelling, threatening, humiliating and constantly blaming an elderly adult. Nonverbal can be actions such as isolating the elderly from friends, families, health professionals or activities, ignoring their needs and instilling fear or terrorizing an individual. Treating an older person like a baby or a child is also a form of psychological

Financial elder abuse “is the unauthorized or improper use of the elder’s resources for monetary or personal benefit, profit, or gain such as forgery, theft, or improper use of guardianship or power of attorney” (Jarvis, 2016, p.104). Financial abuse has been described as not only stealing money or possessions, but also coarsening someone into signing papers or checks. According to Peterson et al. (2014), the most common person to take advantage financially of elderly person is a family member.

The first article “What is Elder Abuse?” explains what elder abuse is, who are the victims, and the many different types of abuse that can take place. The article helps define elder abuse in a way that describes how, “as elders become more physically frail, they’re less able to stand up to bullying and or fight back if attacked” (Robinson, de Benedictis, Ph.D., and Segal, Ph.D., 2011). For this reason, many caregivers or family