“Agnes, 85 years old, lost her husband last year. Because of her own problems with arthritis and congestive heart failure, Agnes moved in with her 55-year-old daughter, Emily. The situation is difficult for all of them. Sometimes Emily feels as if she’s at the end of her rope, caring for her mother, worrying about her college-age, son and worrying about her husband, who is about to be forced into early retirement. Emily has caught herself calling her mother names and accusing her mother of ruining her life. Recently, she lost her temper and slapped her mother. In addition to feeling frightened and isolated, Agnes feels trapped and worthless.”
While child abuse gets plenty of attention in the media, a more uncommon story is elder abuse. Nearly five million cases of elder abuse occur each year, but 85% go unreported. The American Psychological Association defines elder abuse as “the infliction of physical, emotional, or psychological harm on an older adult. Elder abuse can also take the form of financial exploitation or intentional or unintentional neglect of an older adult by the caregiver.” Perhaps saddest of all is that family, friends, caregivers, and neighbors are the culprits in financial abuse cases more than half the time. The Helpguide explains in thorough detail the different types of abuse, warning signs, prevention, and resources for help.
Global Action Aging reported in 2003 that in Florida, people convicted of aggravated elder abuse get a maximum prison term of 15 years. Those who commit aggravated child abuse could be sentenced to life. “I don’t think society pays a whole lot of attention,’’ agreed Randy Thomas, who trains law enforcement officers in South Carolina. “If I’ve got a dead 91-year-old and I have a dead 2-year old, people want to know how the child died.’’ For more information on the injustices in Florida’s Department of Children and Family Services, check out this article from Global Aging.
Caregiver neglect: “Madeline is 75 and suffers from congestive heart failure. She lives alone, with home health nurses and nurses’ aides coming in daily to provide nursing care and personal assistance. She depends on the home health agency’s personal assistant to help her with the routine tasks around the house and to provide interaction with someone from the outside world. At first, the assistant was sweet to Madeline, but lately, the assistant has started ignoring Madeline’s requests, snapping at her, and bumping into her with the vacuum cleaner or dusting brush while cleaning. Madeline thinks the assistant is bumping her on purpose, but she doesn’t know for sure, and she’s afraid to confront her.”
Elders with dementia may become more aggressive as part of their disease. They may hit or abuse another adult, such as a spouse who serves as their caregiver, but this form of elder abuse is still unacceptable.
A child who was abused may be more likely to commit elder abuse when it is their turn to be a caregiver. One source says, “Individuals who are abused as children are hypothesized to become part of a cycle of violence. Violence is learned as a form of acceptable behavior in childhood as a response to conflict, anger, or tension. Thus, when these feelings arise during caregiving, the caregiver is at risk for becoming a perpetrator of elder abuse or neglect. Some have also hypothesized a “what goes around, comes around” theory of elder abuse. If the older person receiving the care previously abused their child, that child now in the role of caregiver simply is returning the abuse they suffered.”
Whether it’s an abused child or an over-stressed caregiver, a variety of people are perpetrators of elder abuse. No matter the cause, the problem is one that needs to be addressed. Numerous resources can help with abused elders, but the primary step to making a change is educating society and not being afraid to call if there are signs of abuse.
Sources for Stats: http://elderjusticenow.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/facts-about-elder-abuse-in-the-u-s/
Elder abuse stories: http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/elder-abuse.aspx
FYSOP Elders 