Essay Health and Social Care Unit 11

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 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).

According to the reading in this week’s content the reflecting incidents of abuse involving elderly residents in senior care homes are staggering and disheartening. This resident on resident abuse is hardly addressed, and state and government agencies have not provided much assistance in trying to prevent it from happening. In the case of the elderly man attacking an elderly woman the facility felt that increasing his meds would solve the issue of his erratic behavior. However, while increasing his medication this might be helpful with a thorough examination the proper response should have been to detain the attacker and call authorities to investigate the situation. The attacker must face the consequences for his actions and his behavior

Neglect and abuse is a serious issue for the elderly living in our community, especially for those living in nursing facilities and it needs to be taken seriously by society. Due to chronic illness in this population, primary care providers are frequently in the best position to diagnose, intervene, and report potential victims of abuse and neglect. Although all caregivers who encounter the elderly whether in outpatient setting, nursing home, or even at home should know the warning signs and be able to report any signs of abuse immediately.

The research was conducted in 2007, where the researcher sampled various departments at each facility at different times of the day. Questionnaires were given to about ten workers in each department. The respondents were asked whether they had performed or witnessed incidents of abuse in the past year. “The study indicated that 54% reported perpetrating one or more types of abuse against older patients in long-term facilities over the past year” (Factors that affect abuse).The study also found that the risk of physical neglect and total number of maltreatment incidents became higher as the ratio of staff and patients increased. The research determined that the acts do not involve personal motives or malicious intent, but come from institutional

Many occupational therapists work with elderly people. While various populations of individuals experience abuse, The National Institute on Aging recognizes six different types of abuse inflicted onto elderly people. The first type of abuse recognized is physical abuse, which is described as “bodily harm by hitting, pushing, or slapping”. While this type of abuse is important, it is certainly not the only kind. Emotional or psychological abuse involves verbally degrading, threatening, or yelling at a person, as well as ignoring them. Ignoring the individual could also fall under neglect, which is the next type of abuse listed. Neglect and abandonment go hand-in-hand, with abandonment being the more extreme version of the two. Neglect is ignoring an elderly person’s needs, while abandonment is described as leaving the person alone without planning for their care. The fifth kind of abuse is sexual abuse, in which a person is forced to watch or partake in sexual acts. The final kind of abuse is financial abuse, in which money or items are stolen from the elderly individual (“Elder Abuse”). These six types of abuse each have their own unique ways of affecting elderly individuals, but in the end they are all harmful at best and lethal at

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

For example an elderly man is in need of a heart transplant and he is refused treatment because of his age; they say he has less of a life to live, but as for the younger generation they have longer life to live and the treatment would be considered for them because they have a whole life ahead of

Imagine your grandma getting weaker and no longer being able to provide for herself. You make the difficult decision to put her into a long-term care facility. She loves it there and you are happy to see grandma happy again. After a while, she begins to become more withdrawn and depressed. One day, you noticed a bruise on her arm. She told you she must of bumped it. A couple weeks later, she has more bruises all over. You report these bruises to the nurse and she notices they are shaped like hand-prints. Loved ones at home, as well as, nursing homes all over are being abused. These vulnerable loved ones are not just being physically abuse but, also sexually, psychologically, and financially (“National Elder Abuse”). Abuse is also classified as abandonment and neglect (“National Elder Abuse”). Elderly abuse is a serious problem having a few simple solutions.

As we age the incidence of illness and disability increases. This often leads to changes in living arrangements, and the ability to manage personal affairs is compromised. This means that many older adults turn the management of certain activities over to others, often opening the door to mistreatment or elder abuse (Eliopoulos 2010). Elder abuse may be defined as “A single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person or violates their human and civil rights” (HSE, 2002a, p25). Elder abuse is a significant social challenge in contemporary western society. There were 1,870 referrals of alleged abuse

Many abused cases of elderly have been found out in care facilities. A news on fox17online.com reports that an assisted living aide abused an elderly woman by throwing shoes and water at the victim and calling her phone repeatedly. It is the physical abuse that directly affecting to elder health: Another situation of physical abuse is in Los Angeles, a 74 year-old woman was stricken on

Patients may suffer from scratches, bruises, broken bones, head injuries, and numerous other injuries as a direct result of being physically abused. Indirectly, patients with current health conditions may worsen, or patients may start to show other conditions because of being physically abuse (Paul & Perkins PA). Older adults who have been abused have a 300% higher risk of death when compared to those who have not been victimized (NCOA). The psychological effects of physical abuse are many and can affect everyone in different ways. Many patients can become reserved and begin to lose communication skills. Conversely, patients may also become aggressive and begin to display violent tendencies. Abused patients may lose sleep, stop eating, and develop stress disorders in response to the physical abuse. Insufficient sleep or nutrition can be destructive to the patient’s immune system, and can severely destabilize the mental health of the patient. Self-neglect and even self-harm may also begin after physical abuse has been or is currently being done. Physical abuse of elders is a problem that negatively impacts the society in which the abuse is taking place. Elders who are abused are four times more likely than non-abused older adults to go into nursing homes (Ageless Alliance). People living in a society in which elder abuse is common tend to worry about getting older, and start to show early symptoms. Elder citizens that suffer abuse are not productive as long, and have a much shorter life expectancy (Paul & Perkins PA). Physical abuse in contradiction of elders is a costly problem for the society in which it takes

Unfortunately, since the age of our population is increasing so is the prevalence of elder abuse. Since this form of abuse is rarely screened for it can be difficult to detect. It is the nurse’s responsibility to implement tools that could help identify any underlying problems that are not immediately noticeable. Many times the nurse could be the last hope a patient could have. The patient might be too afraid to admit to maltreatment for fear of retaliation from the abuser. This is why nurses should assess for signs that the patient is in trouble. If the nurse can successfully recognize when an elder is being abused they can make a significant impact on the life of their patient.

Starting with physical abuse, according to dictionary.com, physical abuse is “an act of another party involving contact intended to cause feelings of physical pain, injury or other physical suffering of bodily harm”. Some examples of physical abuse are: punching, kicking, hitting, scratching, pushing, pulling etc. Such injury is considered abuse

Physical abuse includes: confining one to a certain place, shoving, hitting, slapping, pulling hair, choking, kicking, scratching, or hurting you with a weapon... Sexual abuse includes: Forcing undesired sexual acts, mistreating sexual parts of your body, and rape... Emotional abuse includes: Threatening to utilize any of these types of abusive behavior is also considered to be abuse" (Types of Abuse, n.d., Government Publication).