The Victims of Elder Abuse Essay

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.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention standardly defines elder abuse as “any abuse and neglect of persons age 60 or older by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust” (CDC, Elder Abuse). It is always thought that the elderly are treated with honor, dignity and respect but many of the elderly have been abused and neglected as much if not worse than the children we spoke of in our previous discussions. Who seriously could hurt these frail people, someone’s grandparents, possibly even your own; persons who because of the aging process have lost their ability to fight back and are being bullied or attacked by someone in a position of trust. It is estimated that 70% to 90% of the perpetrators of elderly

There are many types of abuse that occur in nursing homes, even though many do not even realize what all could be classified as abuse. When hearing abuse what is probably most thought of is physical abuse. It was reported that for elderly women with

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

Abuse can happen to anyone, but elderly adults residing in nursing homes are more vulnerable and have a higher risk for abuse (Rasansky Law Firm, 2006, para. 1). Elders are among the fastest growing in the population, and because of this many more elderly

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.

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

Elders in the United States should not have to go through situations of abuse like the one Mildred Mortenson suffered. However, this type of situations happen more often than they should and sadly, there is not enough being done to prevent it. Elder abuse should be recognized as an increasing and very serious problem in our society. As elders grow more physically frail and begin to depend on others to meet their basic needs, they tend to become vulnerable to intentional abuse and neglect within their own home as well as assisted living facilities such as nursing homes. Unfortunately, it is not possible to know exactly how many elders are being abused across the Nation. Due to under-reporting, variations in the definition of elder abuse,

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

Although there are agencies and policies to protect the elderly, elder abuse is prevalent in the United States due to ambiguity, underreporting, and underfunding. In 1994, the National Long Term Care Survey found that over 7 million family members provided 120 hours of care to elders. It is extremely demanding and hard to care for the elderly, which causes stress that can then lead to neglect and/or abuse. In some cases, it is a learned behavior resulting from the perpetrator being a victim of previous abuse (National Research Council 2003). Elderly abuse is found to affect one in ten Americans (Roberto 2016). In 2014, it was estimated that almost 10% of Americans aged 60 or older experienced abuse (O’Brien 2015). Of the few studies that have been conducted, less than 15 were funded by the National Institute on Aging (National Research Council 2003). Results from these studies have indicated that elder abuse is a prevailing social issue that needs attention, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse, for every one case known, there are 24 that are unknown. One of the biggest issues is the ambiguity of elder abuse. There is no solid definition of elder abuse, but it is known that it can be neglect, physical, mental, emotional, financial, and even sexual. Another problem is the complexity when it comes to the elderly, it is hard to distinguish accidents and illnesses from abuse (National Research Council 2003).

Neglect of patients may include: medical neglect, neglect of basic needs, neglect of personal hygiene, and social or emotional neglect. Not all patients at nursing homes are completely immobile or require constant attention, but, for others, constant care is crucial. Since some seniors have mobility, mental, hearing and vision limitation, senior caregiving creates opportunities for caregivers to take advantage, whether it be intentional or accidental. Up to half a million cases of elder abuse are taken to authorities each year and these are only the reported ones. It is estimated that there may be millions of unreported nursing home abuses and home care abuses every year (“Comprehensive and Unbiased Info”). Some cases are undocumented because

The addition of the Elder Justice Act brings some hope for long-term attention to the issue of elder abuse. This country is extremely unprepared for the magnitude of issues that will erupt with the growth of the older population. Healthcare services, community-based and home-based services, and long-term care facilities are going to be seriously taxed over the next 20 years. It is necessary to address elder abuse prevention, education, and intervention thoroughly in the short-term while considerations are somewhat manageable. As stated by Greenlee (2012), “This is not solely a federal issue, this is a national crisis” (p. 8). If we consider the protection of older adults as a national responsibility, it is clear that advocacy and

Elder Abuse is defined as any activity performed by an individual whereby these actions cause suffering of the older adult, intentionally or not (Touhy, Jett, Boscart & McCleary, 2012, p. 378). Unfortunately, the incidents of elder abuse continue to rise with the increasing number of people entering older adulthood. It is interesting to note that although elder abuse is highly under reported its occurrence increased three fold over a ten-year period (Friese & Collopy, 2010, p. 61). Certainly, it is a nurse’s duty to provide holistic care to his or her patients, which must include protection from abuse. Elder abuse can take on many forms including physical, emotional, sexual, neglect and financial. It is important to note that for the

Last summer, local headlines read, Authorities raid Alzheimer’s personal care home and More Than a Dozen in Custody Following Elder Abuse Investigation. A shocking case of elderly abuse occurred in my own backyard; in a small town just minutes down the road. In the end, the owner and twenty employees of the Alzheimer 's Care of Commerce were arrested. Some of the alleged abuse included patients being tied down with bed sheets, being 'double diapered ' so that they would not have to be changed as often, patients being hit and having water thrown on them, and being over medicated causing death. Eighteen people were indicted on charges resulting from the investigation. One of these cases was just recently tried earlier this month and the first person, who was accused of illegally restraining a patient, was acquitted. The remaining cases have not been tried nor have a date for trial set at this point.

As America ages, so does the growing number of elderly who are at risk of various forms of manipulation and abuse. Elder abuse is a growing issue that demands the public’s attention due to the dangerous implications it raises for this population. Elder abuse can take different forms and often goes unreported because it is frequently at the hands of family members. In this paper, I plan to identify characteristics of elder abuse exhibited in Norman’s case while providing an appropriate theory, assessment, and intervention that can be used to provide appropriate treatment.