Elder Abuse

1.State of the Problem – Elder Abuse in our country is growing in America. All people have the right to live their lives without abuse, neglects, and being exploitations. It should not matter how old we are everyone has value. The 2004 Survey of State Adult Protective Services, found the following: that a 19.7 percent increase from 2000 – 2004 in the combined total of reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse and there was a 15.6 percent increase from 2000 – 2004 in substantiated cases; and the abuse occurred more than two in five victims which is (42.8%) were age 80 or older; Most alleged perpetrators in 2003 were adult children (32.6%) or other family members (21.5%), and spouses/intimate partners accounted for 11.3% of the total. www.ncea.aoa.gov . The estimate of abuse is between 1 and 2 million Americans age 65or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care or protection’. (www.ncea.aoa.gov) These numbers may be low because the elder may not report any complicate due to fear. Abusers of older adults are both females and males. Usually family members are often the abusers in the domestic surrounding. Researcher estimated two-thirds of all elder abuse are family members, and most often the victim’s adult child or spouse. ‘Research has shown that the abusers in many instances are financially dependent on the elder’s resources and have problems related to alcohol and drugs’. (www.ncea.aoa.gov) The main elder abuse occurs in long-term care home. There are seven major types of elder abuse. Physical, sexual, emotional, neglect, abandonment, financial or material exploitation, and self-neglecting are the major types of elder abuse. Physical abuse is defined when physical force is use on elder, which could result in bodily injury, or physical pain 9www.ncea.aoa.gov. Physical abuse consists of striking, hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, shaking, slapping, kicking, pinching, and burning an elder. If an elder person was overdose with their drugs or physical restraint to force-feed them this also is physical abuse. Here are some signs of physical abuse there may be bruises, welts, bone fractures, broken bones, cuts, sprains, broken eyeglasses, and laboratory findings of overdose with prescribed drugs. Elder could call the hot line for elder abuse and report of being hit. If the elder has a caregiver's and refuse to allow visitors to see an elder alone that could also be a sign of abuse. Sexual abuse is when anyone forces themselves sexual without their consent kind at any age. These are some of the signs of elder sex abuse there could be bruises around the breasts or genital or venereal disease or genital infections or if elder’s called in and reported of being sexually abused. (www.ncea.aoa.gov). Emotional or psychological abuse is when a mental or emotional distress occurs to an elder person through words or nonverbal acts. Emotional abuse consists of harsh words spoken, insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and harassment. . (www.ncea.aoa.gov) If someone is isolating an elderly person from his or her family, friends, or regular activities this is a form of emotional abuse. These are some signs and symptoms of emotional abuse when elder becomes withdrawn and does not communicate or responsive or when a elder calls in to report the abuse. For example, here is complaint that was reported to Adult Protective Service. ‘Rosa is 79-years-old a widow who lives with Michael, her son. Michael moved in with her after a divorce in which he lost custody of his two children and ownership of his home. Months later Michael assumed took responsibility of Rosa’s Social Security checks and pension. He does not allow her to see visitors and has begun to lock Rosa in her room when he leaves the house. When she has medical appointments, Michael insists on accompanying Rosa throughout all aspects of the examinations. Rosa’s longtime neighbors, Became concerned, because they...