Introduction
On many occasions, elderly people are abused and exploited in multiple ways by the people they know. According to the American Psychological Association, over 4 million elderly people are victims of financial, psychological or physical neglect and abuse. It is estimated that about 95 percent of the abuse and neglect cases among the seniors in the United States are conducted in their residential homes and not at medical institutions. As people advance to their later ages, they become more physically weak and unable to stand up to exploitation or bullying. This is largely attributed to the fact that they might not see, hear think or behave in reasonable ways. Caregivers tend to take advantage of this situation to neglect them by offering lesser attention than they should. Psychological, financial, emotional, physical abuse, and neglect will be discussed in this paper.
Types of elder abuse
Physical abuse
According to Blow and Barry (58), physical abuse involves the infliction of physical injury or pain on a senior by bruising them or restraining them by any chemical or physical means. He argues that this form of abuse is easily identifiable, but often assumed to be elderly frailty or cases of dementia. Caregivers tend to administer physical abuse to control the seniors or to show disapproval in personal issues. The authors argue that the most prominent sign applicable in the detection of this type of abuse is if the caregiver refuses other people to visit the senior. In some instances, issuance of life threats to silence the affected is used to cover their abusive actions. Physical exploitation leads to depression in case the injuries are not very severe. However, detrimental health complications are imminent if urgent treatment is not issued timely.
Emotional and abuse
Evoking negative emotions among the elderly has negative effects on their health, as it may lead to fluctuations in their blood pressure or sugar levels. Nonetheless, caregivers and other parties participate in the emotional abuse of the elderly. It involves the infliction of mental pain, distress and anguish on an elderly person through non-verbal or verbal acts (Jackson and Hafemeister 289). Some of these actions include threatening, humiliating and intimidating the elderly. The effects of these actions are severe as they affect the senior’s cognitive and homeostatic body functions. Additionally, neglecting the elderly has a similar effect on their health. This is largely attributed to the fact that they feel undervalued due to a lower self-esteem. Seniors need high levels of emotional care as lack thereof compromises their psychological health and heightens their vulnerabilities to complications mental complications such as dementia.
Financial abuse
Shelly and Thomas argue that seniors are largely exposed to financial exploitation by their caregivers. Financial exploitation involves improper utilization of an elderly person’s funds, assets or properties without their consent. He argues that caregivers may engage in identity theft and misuse a senior’s property while neglecting them. Over $2.9 billion is lost annually through this form of abuse in the hands of relatives, who are caregivers (Jackson and Hafemeister 290). It is worth noting that the seniors need not to be bed ridden for financial exploitation to occur. In most cases, abusers tend to use force and threats to cease control of the elderly possessions. This leads to the development of depression and stress related health conditions. As such, there are deteriorations in an individual’s well being once they are financially exploited.
Psychological abuse
This exploitation form is almost similar to emotional distress. However, one’s mentality is primarily jeopardized when this approach is taken. Actions causing mental anguish, stress, and fear are examples of psychological abuse. In this case, the caregiver threatens or ridicules a senior thus affecting their overall self-perception. This makes it difficult for the aged to make decisions as they have a damaged self esteem caused by those withholding affection. Harassment and humiliation are equal forms of psychological abuse among the elderly.
Neglect
Neglecting occurs when caregivers tend to disassociate themselves from dedicating some of their time to assess the seniors. Precisely, when they do not provide the required social, emotional or physical needs to the elderly. For instance, failing to provide clothing, food and shelter or depriving the seniors of their right to social contact (Mark and Karl 19). Neglect leads to the development of health complication related to cognitive abilities. As such, it makes the elderly act in irrational ways as they feel isolated and unimportant.
Cultural and societal issues leading to elderly abuse and neglect
Societal attitudes contribute to the development of this complication in a variety of ways. Precisely, the general perception of the older generation makes it easier for other parties to abuse and neglect them. Plitnick (184) argues that when older people are regarded as insignificant, the society fails to appreciate their importance and thereby easing the probability for exploitation. Additionally, cultural values regarding how family members define their roles concerning each other’s welfare limit the number of people obligated to care for the elderly. For instance, a senior’s grandchild may not feel the need to offer extended care when parents are present. As such, they delegate duties to other parties instead of taking personal responsibility. However, the elderly contribute to their abuse in some situations. Lack of respect and disregard for the younger adults makes it almost impossible to administer care. As a result, the caregivers tend to retaliate by treating them violently and with low regard.
Risk factors for elder abuse
The elderly experience multiple health risks when exposed to abuse and neglect. For instance, the intensity of their illnesses or dementia is heightened. Blow and Barry (60) argue that not offering proper care and attention to a needy senior worsens their health problems by almost fifty percent. This situation is largely attributed to the fact that their self-esteem and cognitive ability are greatly affected. Social isolation is also a common risk for both the caregivers and the seniors. Dedicating a lot of time to offering care on the elderly limits their interaction times with other people. As such, their social abilities are affected. The seniors experiencing neglect and abuse develop a tendency towards physical and verbal aggression. According to Jackson and Hafemeister (294), this is done to express their disappointment in their health conditions and the treatment they receive from other parties. The abuse and neglect of the elderly leads to their death in severe occasions.
Prevention of elder abuse and neglect
It is essential to neutralize the risk factors posed by the neglect and abuse of the elderly. Failing to deal with this issue jeopardizes the welfare of the senior by compromising their health and self esteem. This situation can be best achieved thorugh intervention of abusive senior-caregiver relationships. Additionally, offering education on the importance of caring for the elderly is an appropriate approach in dealing with this issue. The best way to control this situation is to inform the public of its prevalence, and effects on the elderly victims (Mark and Karl 21). Caregivers ought to adopt stress reduction practices to prevent dispensing their anger on the seniors they ought to care for. Additionally, they can join support groups that offer care to the elderly. This initiative makes it easier for them to share their experiences and to deal with the disappointments associated with caregiving to the elderly. Additionally, they should be informed of the health risks they expose the elderly when they do not dedicate appropriate attention to their welfare. If these initiatives are implemented, the situation would be lesser disheartening as people are aware of the impacts of their actions regarding neglect and abuse.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the abuse and neglect of the elderly is a common problem across the globe. In the United States, more than 4 million seniors are neglected and abused in one way or another each year. Some of the most common forms include physical, emotional, psychological and financial abuse. There is a need to care for the seniors as doing the contrary jeopardizes not only their cognitive abilities but also their health. Depression and cognitive complications are the most common health issues associated with this type of abuse. As a result, it is imperative to assess the progress of a needy senior to ensure these problems do not develop. Preventive measures within the community should be established to ensure there is no exploitation of the elderly. Primarily, offering education on the importance of treating the elderly with respect enhances the possibility of eradicating this problem.
Works cited
Blow, Frederic C.; Barry, Kristen L.; Generations, Fall2014; 38(3): 53-67. 15p. (Journal Article - case study) ISSN: 0738-7806, CINAHL with Full Text
Jackson, Shelly L.; Hafemeister, Thomas L.; Psychology of Violence, Vol 2(3), Jul, 2012 pp. 285-296. Publisher: Educational Publishing Foundation; [Journal Article], Database: PsycINFO
Plitnick, Katherine R AORN Journal, 2008, Volume 87, Issue 2
Mark S; Pillemer, Karl The Lancet, 2004, Volume 364, Issue 9441
