Overview Of Elder Self-Neglect

Elder abuse is the most common type of abuse that gets looked over. People normally do not suspect or even think an elderly person may be getting abused, but this is a serious topic in nursing homes and hospitals. Every health care professional needs to learn the warning signs and symptoms of elder abuse to prevent this from happening.

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.

The patient’s physical and mental status are not the only factors that contribute to the prevalence of elder self-neglect; external factors must also be considered. Factors such as living alone, a lack of family involvement and

In the Journal of JAMA, Volume 302: Issue no. 5 published on August 5 2009 Elder Self-neglect and Abuse and Mortality Risk in a Community-Dwelling Population. The authors: X. Dong, MD, Melissa Simon, MD, Mph, Carols Mendes de Leon, PhD, Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, Todd Beck, MS, Liesi Herbert, ScD, Carmel Dyer, MD, Gregory Paveza PhD, MSW, Denis Evans, MD argue that both elder self-neglect and abuse is becoming more clear in regards to public health concerns, and that elder self-neglect or abuse is linked with mortality and not just on those that were vulnerable. In addition, that both elder neglect and abuse reported to social agencies there was an increased risk of mortality (Dong et al., 2009, p. 517).

Neglect is the deprivation of services deemed necessary for maintenance of physical and mental health. Elder neglect is sometimes the result of an inability on the part of an elder to care for him or herself without external assistance or support (Nancy L. Falk, Judith Baigis, & Catharine Kopac, 2012). It also occurs when the person responsible to provide such support fails to fulfill his or her obligations (Fulmer & O’Malley, 1987). This type of abuse includes abandonment, as well as deprivation of such basic needs as food, water, clothing, housing, or medical care (Elder Abuse Forensic Center, n.d.). Scenario: A 80 year old woman who bed bound is cared for at home by her family. Over time she becomes, emaciated, dehydrated,

Elder abuse is a serious problem and almost 14.1 percent of noninstutionalized older adults in the United States have experience it in the past year (govtrack.us, 2016). The elder abuse is any kind of mistreatment that causes harm or loss to an older adults and it is not only limited to physical and psychological abuse, but also include sexual and financial abuse, and neglect (National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, 2008). In addition, the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (2008) mentioned that older adults as a result of abuse can lose their independence, homes, life savings, health, dignity, and security. Most importantly, the older adults who have been abused are 300% at higher risk of death than non-abused older adults (N National Center on Elder Abuse, 2016).

The aging population is at high risk of being taken advantage of and mistreated by a caregiver or family member. Elders are the most vulnerable group of people and are subject to elder abuse in their later years of life. The Administration of Aging refers to elder abuse as the knowing, intentional, or negligent act that causes harm or serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. Every year, hundreds of thousands of older adults are abused, neglected, and exploited. Unfortunately, a trusted caregiver or a loved one commits most of these heinous acts.

Elder abuse is a growing problem that can be a challenge to address. Physical, emotional, and financial abuse is associated with increased mortality rates, especially in those that are alone. The National center on Elder Abuse (as cited in Hoover & Polson, 2014) defines elder abuse as “intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or ‘trusted’ individual that lead to or may lead to, harm of a vulnerable elder”. Mistreatment of older adults will incline as the number of adults that need caregivers increase. The elder adult that is the most susceptible to abuse is most likely frail, defenseless, and cognitively impaired. Amidst all other problems, the older adult has encountered at least one type of abuse in their later years. Many cases of older adult abuse are not reported and the abuse continues until mortality.

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).

It can be difficult to detect elder abuse, because many of these individuals are socially isolated, which means they have few social interactions with other people and the outside world. The majority of abusers are, unfortunately, family members of the victim.

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,

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, there are seven types of elder abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, self-neglect, and abandonment” (Fischer, 2012, p. 102). “The American Medical Association defines elder abuse and/or neglect as ‘an act of commission or omission that results in harm or threatened harm to the health or welfare of an older adult’ whether intentional or unintentional” (Read, 2016, p. 32).

The elder can be mentally competent and aware of the consequences, and still self-neglect. However, self-neglect can also be associated with the mental impairments dementia, isolation, depression, and alcohol abuse. An extreme type of self-neglect is hoarding, which is when an elder saves everything in an attempt to maintain control over their space. If an elder is hoarding, it is likely that their space is not seen by others and can accumulate to the point where it is a threat to their health, safety, and dignity. Self-neglect tends to be higher amongst women who live alone. Elders who hoard can be helped by social workers or nurses through professional interventions, which focus on building trust and allowing services to reduce the unhealthy living situation. Although in some cases, nothing can be done to change the hoarding. A review on 49 studies on elder abuse showed that one in four vulnerable adults are at risk of abuse. The perpetrators of elder abuse can be caregivers, relatives, acquaintances, and strangers. In around 66% of elder abuse reports, the perpetuator is a relative. The majority of the reports list the relatives as being adult children or spouses of the abused, and they tend to be males. The factors that can lead to abuse are caregiver stress, mental illness, substance abuse, criminal personality,

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,