Theoretical Framework Of Elderly Abuse

Abuse of the elderly occurs in the home and in institutional settings such as nursing homes. The home is the principal site of care for most older people. The abuser can be any person in a position of authority or family member. Perpetrators of abuse in the home are commonly adult children, spouses or paid care workers (Heath and Schofield 1999). Often long-term caregiving relationships can lead family members or staff to ‘burn out’ and abuse may be an unfortunate consequence (Mauk, 2006). In institutional care settings such as residential and nursing homes staff are often over worked, have

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).

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

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

An estimated twenty-one percent of nursing home residents are neglected at least once in the past twelve months and more than twenty-four percent are abused at least once during their entire stay (Schub & Kornusky, 2014). In a study of 718 family members and others responsible for those ages 60 and older receiving long-term care in a nursing home, an assisted living facility or paid homecare, nearly 30 percent reported at least one instance of elder abuse in the past year. Neglect was the most common form and sexual abuse the least (Anetzberger, 2012).

Nursing home abuse takes place when nursing assistants, caregivers or employees in a nursing facility intentionally does something that can cause harm to adults who are weak and vulnerable. There are many different forms of nursing home abuse. There are mainly sociological and cultural issues, and most cases of elder abuse are usually caused by several factors. Some of these factors are: quality of the nursing home and its staff, the features and personal issues of family and nursing assistants and caregivers are also fundamental in deciding the essential causes of the abuse. Therefore, social-cultural forces determine how elderly people are cared for and treated by others. By understanding all these different causes that

Elder mistreatment is a serious problem in America, yet it often overlooked. Elder abuse is defined as abuse in older adults that includes, but isn’t limited to physical, emotional, financial or sexual abuse. It is a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm. It is often misunderstood and dismissed as just a family matter when in fact, that is the least common source of cruelty amongst the elders. According to the National council of aging, 1 in 10 Americans aged 60 and older have experienced some form of abuse. Some estimates range as high as 5 million elders who are reportedly abused yearly.

Is it worth putting your loved ones in a nursing home facility? According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Each year, hundreds of thousands of adults over the age of 60 are abused, neglected, or financially exploited.” Family members of an elderly person might assume that because they are paying such a large amount of money for assistance and a room in the facility, that they’re getting the best treatment and care for their relative. Although one might believe their loved ones would be better off in a nursing home, they might be putting them at a greater risk of abuse due to understaffing, lack of training within the staff, neglect, nurse burnout, and low wages. 2,150,000 cases

With the thought of our grandparents, one commonly thinks how the end of their lives will be handled, and how they will be taken care of in the event that one cannot provide care. In most cases, this means placement into a nursing or elderly care facility, but with these come the deadly possibility of elder abuse. Statistics about elder abuse show: “30% of nursing homes in the US- 5,283 facilities- were cited for almost 9,000 instances of abuse over a two year period” (Ruppe) Most people do not even understand what elder abuse means. The seven main types of abuse include: physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial/material exploitation, neglect, sexual abuse, self-neglect, and abandonment (Sellas M.D).

There are many types of abuse and neglect that are encountered in primary care. Many times, abuse and neglect are regarded as results of old age (i.e. bruises or abrasions from bumping into objects while walking secondary to unsteady gait or decreased vision). Elder abuse is often underestimated by care providers considering the definition differs widely among care providers and entities. This lack of definitional clarity can hamper the care provider’s ability to assess whether abuse or neglect truly exists which results in elder abuse often being unreported and undetected. Elder abuse and neglect can encompass many different areas to include physical, emotional, financial, sexual, psychological, medical, self-neglect and self-abuse (Falk, Baigis, Kopac, 2012, 2-3).

As a police officer it is expected that you will intervene in difficult situations. Personally, I draw upon my past experiences to provide individuals with an array of information to help them better understand their own experience they are living. One area of policing where I can’t do this is elder abuse. Lesson #5 of this Domestic Violence Course has introduced me to several theories that will help me better understand elder abuse as a type of domestic violence.

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,

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

Although it does not usually make news headlines and is rarely discussed, nursing home residents and the elderly experience abuse sometimes on a daily basis. Medical errors, physical abuse, or stealing from them could all be classified as abuse. All around the world today, a population that is not able to help itself is being harmed, whether it is physical or sexual abuse, exploitation, or not being properly supervised; the elderly and nursing home residents are being abused.

This paper will focus on the grim reality of elder abuse. Elder abuse which is also called elder maltreatment, includes psychological, physical, sexual abuse, neglect by care giver or self-neglect, and financial exploitation (Dong, Advancing the field of elder abuse: future directions and policy implications., 2012). Unfortunately, it is uncertain how many people are suffering from elder abuse, but studies do suggest that female elders are abused at a higher rate than males (National center on elder abuse administration on aging, n.d.). Although the number is uncertain, there is still a great concern which needs to be addressed. However, studies do know that one in 10 older adults do experience some form of elder abuse (Dong, Advancing the field of elder abuse: future directions and policy implications., 2012). With the continued growing population of elders, elder abuse stands for immediate attention and is far more common than