Neglect As Defined By Merriam Webster Essay

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

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.

Neglect by others: Neglect is a passive form of abuse in which a perpetrator is responsible to provide care for a victim who is unable to care for him or herself, but fails to provide adequate care. Neglect may include the failure to provide sufficient supervision, nourishment, medical care, or the failure to fulfill other needs for which the victim cannot provide themselves. Neglect can develop into many long-term

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet an individual’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in serious impairment of the individual’s health or development, such as failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing.

Sexual abuse refers to sexual contact of any kind without permission neglect is not providing food, health care, shelter or anything needed to live for vulnerable elder persons. Illegal taking or misuse of the elder’s property is called exploitation. Emotional abuse is the humiliation, threatening, or insulting (verbally or nonverbally) of an elder. Deserting of a vulnerable elder by a person who is responsible for them is called abandonment.

Neglect occurs when a health professional, carer or family member fails to provide the level of support or care that that person needs. This neglect can be deliberate or as a result of ignorance of required standards and practices. Again this neglect can result in the failure to meet the person’s physical, medical, nutritional, educational, emotional or social needs.

Too often seniors refuse to report abuse, neglect, or crime against them out of fear of losing independence. It is a common misconception that being victimized will deem you unfit to live independently and will result in being placed in a facility of some sort. It is important that seniors feel they can turn to those around them with concerns and incidents that occur. In the event that a senior is not forthcoming with information there are a number of avenues that may involve reporting of suspected incidents. Hospitals, doctors, community service organizations, and long term care facilities can report suspected crimes to authorities or Department of Social Services in an effort to protect the individual. If a senior cannot properly protect themselves then health care professionals from all areas should have the ability to act on behalf of the individual to seek help but not dictate the overall outcome as a result. For example: simply finding that a person has been a victim of exploitation should not mean that a person be moved immediately into a facility forfeiting their right to care for themselves. All facilities acting to protect a senior should aim to preserve senior

Neglect by others – not providing adequate care for person who can’t take care of themselves

Neglect by others: Inadequate care or denial of an individual’s basic right. Bedsores, poor hygiene, unsanitary living conditions,

Self-neglect in the elderly is an important public health issue. It occurs more frequently than any other form of abuse or neglect and is expected to become even more prevalent as baby boomers retire and government appointed resources for the elderly decrease (MacLeod & Douthit, 2015). Elder self-neglect is a social justice issue that involves internal factors such as the health of the older adult and external factors such as access to necessary resources. For nurses to become a part of preventing

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).

“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.

Are nursing homes abusing and neglecting the elderly? The elderly are abused and neglected in society today by caregivers in nursing homes. Elder abuse or neglect is a single or repeated action occurring within any relationship where there is an overlook of trust which causes injury or distress to an older person.

Neglect by the caregiver to accord services such as medicine, supervision, clothing, and shelter to an elder in a nursing home setting is regarded as psychological abuse. There have been cases where caregivers have neglected patients who are bedridden. Elders have also been denied regular baths by caregivers. There have been reports where patients who request for a two-person transfer are accorded a person transfer by the caregiver. Not providing toiletry services in time by the caregivers to the elder 's is also regarded as psychological abuse. There have been reports where caregivers refuse to turn off a call light and when requested to do so by the elders in the nursing home setting, they decline. The involuntary seclusion of elders by the caregivers is an example of psychological abuse that happens in the nursing home setting. In the Baltimore community, it has been documented that most of the psychological abuse perpetrated against elders in the nursing home setting is done by caregivers (Kohn et al., 2015).

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,