Student reflects on elder abuse

 Ways to Reduce Elder Abuse using Education

Elder Abuse is all too common in our society today.  I am a nursing technician in the emergency room at St. John’s Hospital and have witnessed such events.  I have seen physical abuse, such as bruises and broken bones to emotional abuse.  I am writing this blog, to help bring awareness to elder abuse and my goal is to educate the population, on ways to be aware of possible abuse and to help prevent further cases of abuse.  

According to the CDC, each year hundreds of thousands of adults over the age of 60 are abused, neglected, or financially exploited. Elder abuse, including neglect and exploitation, is experienced by 1 out of every 10 people, ages 60 and older, who live at home. This statistic is likely an underestimate because many victims are unable or afraid to disclose or report the violence.  They many forms of elder abuse are: 

• Physical
• Sexual
• Emotional
• Neglect
• Abandonment
• Financial Abuse 

There are many warning signs to look for, when questioning abuse of any kind, to an elderly person.  These could be: broken bones, changes in sleep patterns, poor living conditions, untreated bed sores, depression, anxiety and unusual changes in their bank account to name a few.  There are many ways that you can report elder abuse.  One way is to call Adult Protective Services.  Another way is to call the Long-Term Care Ombudsmen.  Their number is 1-800-677-1116.  If you feel that there is immediate danger to the person, always call 911 first.  

I feel that with education not only given to the public, but to caregivers of the elderly, we can greatly reduce the number of incidences of elder abuse in our country.  For example, making community supports and human services for caregivers and older adults can alleviate risk factors tied to elder abuse. Increased funding can support

efforts to train practitioners in aging-related care. Identifying ways to empower older adults will reduce the harmful effects of ageism.  Also, leveraging expert knowledge can provide the tool that are necessary to identify, address and prevent elder abuse.

the harmful effects of ageism. One way to help the caregivers of the elderly, is to provide support over-burdened caregivers with support such as:

• Help from friends, family, or local relief care groups
• Adult day care programs
• Counseling
• Outlets intended to promote emotional well-being

The older adult population is growing faster in the U.S. than are younger populations. Many older adults require care and are vulnerable to violence perpetrated by a caregiver or someone they trust. More research is needed to uncover the causes for, and solutions to, violence against older adults.

This is a thoughtful reaction essay. That figure that 1-in-10 older adults experiences some form of elderly abuse was terrifying. With 15.2% (49.2 million) persons aged 65 or older, we are estimating about 5 million older Americans experiencing abuse. That is a higher number of persons suffering from elder-abuse than the estimates for child abuse (estimates for the number of children experiencing abuse—just abuse, and not neglect—are under 1 million per year, about 770,000 if we use the harm standard rather than the endangerment standard, according to the NIS#4 of 2010). 

Some of those categories of elder abuse make me wonder what the situation actually looks like.  What is “abandonment” and how is “emotional abuse” measured? If healthy children stop maintaining contact with an elderly parent who is in the early stages of dementia, is that a form of elder abuse?  If a parent was generally cruel and distant from their children, when those children become adults, if they fail to care for their older parent as that parent becomes frail and requires care, are those adult children abusing the parent?  Clearly, there is much I should learn about elder abuse.