The First Major Investigation Of Elder Abuse Incidence Study

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

There are a few problems facing the elderly; one problem that is facing the elderly is that there has not been much research done in regard to elder abuse; second, there are beginning to be more elders than specialized health care workers so elders are not getting the care that they need; third, the laws concerning elder abuse are vague and most elders do not know their rights and services that could help them and their family. Elder abuse began to be a recognized problem around the 1970s, but it is still behind child abuse and domestic violence by at least twenty to forty years.

This essay will examine elder abuse and its role in our society. The definition of elder abuse and the different types of elder abuse will be examined. Additionally, literature that highlight legislative changes to current elder abuse laws and the origins of those laws will be examined. The paper will also discuss national reports of elder abuse statistics and the current status of elder abuse. Finally, recommendations based upon the information researched will be provided as a guide for the future.

As Americans live longer, it is no surprise that the population of older adults has increased; consequently so has the ubiquitous problem of elder abuse. In the United States elder abuse is an exceedingly, overlooked public health hazard; which covers a wide range of abuses. Approximately 2 million adults, over the age of 60 are abused or mistreated each year. ("Elder Justice: A John A. Hartford Foundation Change AGEnts Issue Brief", 2016) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has defined elder abuse as "an intentional act, or failure to act, by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult, age 60 and older” (“Elder Abuse: Definitions”, 2016) Studies show a vast majority of health care professionals underestimate the occurrence of elder

· Physical abuse. Contrary to common belief, many elderly victims of physical abuse are high functioning. The abuser is typically a family member, often the adult offspring of the victim. The abuser may be a long-term dependent of the victim because of health or financial issues and may take out resentment for this dependence on the elderly victim. These victims are generally aware that they are being mistreated, but their sense of parental or family obligation makes them reluctant to cut off the abuser.

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).

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.

One of the fastest growing populations in the United States are the elderly. According to Stark (2012, p. 24), “In 2000, adults age 65 and older accounted for 12.5% of the U.S. population. By 2050, they'll account for an estimated 25% of the U.S. population.”As the elderly population continues to grow, so are the cases of elder abuse, especially elder abuse types that are difficult to detect. It is a growing concern for today's modern and future society.

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

I am intending on researching the rising epidemic of elder abuse and why and how it happens. I hypothesize that the subject generally is unheard of and goes unnoticed for many people. Since working and caring for the elderly is a part of the medical field, my primary audience would be health care professionals who work in elder facilities as well as family members who have taken on the role as care giver. These individuals should be interested in the topic because chances are they are passionate about their work or family member and would like to acquire knowledge on how to prevent or help life proceed to those that have been affected by the situation. The people who have the greatest opportunity and accessibility to help the victims of

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,

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

Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual and Financial Abuse and Potential Neglect in the United States- The National Elder Mistreatment Study

This is a good source to use for the final paper because it gives a lot of information about elderly abuse