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Residents at nursing homes being physically abused
Institutional elder abuse
Institutional elder abuse
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Recommended: Residents at nursing homes being physically abused
Although it does not usually make news headlines and is rarely discussed, nursing home residents and the elderly experience abuse sometimes on a daily basis. Medical errors, physical abuse, or stealing from them could all be classified as abuse. All around the world today, a population that is not able to help itself is being harmed, whether it is physical or sexual abuse, exploitation, or not being properly supervised; the elderly and nursing home residents are being abused.
Types of Abuse
There are many types of abuse that occur in nursing homes, even though many do not even realize what all could be classified as abuse. When hearing abuse what is probably most thought of is physical abuse. It was reported that for elderly women with a disability, out of a sample of 200, 67% of them had experienced physical abuse, (National Center on Elder Abuse(NCEA), 2011, p. 2) The same study said that out 342 men, 55% of them claimed they had been physically abused. Also, from the same study, it reported that out of the 200 women 53% had experienced sexual abuse. A form of abuse that is not is heard of is when a resident is not properly supervised and given the attention they need. If residents are left alone for an extended period of time are more at risk for things such as bed sores and falling.(Dansker, 2011, para. 7) It could also cause malnutrition for residents who cannot feed themselves. Exploitation is a common form of abuse with the elderly and nursing home residents. There are many cases of this abuse among this population and this is the type that is usually easiest to prove because it most likely leaves a paper trail. Another form of abuse is when a resident must have to weather conditions of unsafe living conditions. Unsafe ...
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Musgrave, B., & Honeycutt Spears, V. (2010, July 11). Light Sentence for Elder Abuse Convictions. Inhttp://www.kentucky.com. Retrieved 2013, from http://www.kentucky.com/2010/07/11/1344587/Light-sentences-for-elder-abuse.html#storylink=cpy
National Center on Elder Abuse Administration on Aging. (2011). America's Growing Elderly Population. Inwww.ncea.aoa.gov. Retrieved from www.ncea.aoa.gov/Library/Data/index.aspx
Nursing Home Abuse Center. (2013, August 13). Two Mississippi Women Sentenced for Nursing Home Abuse. Inhttp://www.clarionledger.com. Retrieved from http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130812/NEWS/130812028/Two-Vicksburg-Women-sentenced-nursing-home-conspiracy
PRWEB. (2011, January 7). Nursing Home Abuse Takes Many Different Forms. In www.prweb.com. Retrieved from www.prweb.com/releases/2011/01/prweb4945024.htm
Jacobsen, L. A., Kent, M., Lee, M., & Mather, M. (2001). America's aging population. Population Bulletin, 66(1).
There have been problems within Long-Term Care and many of these abuses were turned over to the patients, there was hardly any direction on how to handle Long-Term Care. “Poor houses and Almshouses and developed in response to an impoverished, aging, and mentally and physically disabled population who lacked informal caregivers.” (Sarah Thompson, 2008 ) When Long-Term Care was in the infancy stage of developing there were many problems, issues that were created because there was not much direction. In developing in taking care of the elderly there were poorly trained nurses, medical workers and many of them were not qualified to work within the medical field. There were problems, many issues and multiple levels of abuse because of poorly trained medical workers where there was no direction.
In 1965 the first Aging American’s Act was passed. This legislation was part of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society reform. In passing this legislation nearly 50 years ago, the government created a new department the focused on the rights and needs of the gaining population called the United States Administration on Aging. The original legislation was complete with seven titles. The articles include Title I—the Declaration of Objectives for Older Americans; Title II—Establishment of Administration on aging; Title III—Grants for state and community programs on aging; Title IV—Activities for health and independence, and longevity; Title V—Community service senior opportunities act; Title VI—Grants for Native Americans; and Title VII—allotments for vulnerable elder rights protection activities. Each of these titles are present in the most recent Aging Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2013. Each of the titles in the original and reauthorization have levels of measure to ensure that the legislation is enacted in a manner that will protect the aging population. The titles provide guidance to involved organizations and caregivers ensuring each is properly educated in treating the medical and mental health needs of the aging population as well as recognizing, reporting, and preventing elderly abuse, neglect, and physical, mental, and financial exploitation.
In the medical field, the workers are highly trained to be able to make a distinction between what is right and what is wrong. Elder abuse is becoming a serious issue in the health environment. As defined in the website, MedicineNet.com, elder abuse is: “the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of an elderly person, usually one who is disabled or frail”. The older population consists of people over sixty-five years old. They are very fragile and sometimes they are forgotten or abused. The elderly can be victims of mistreatment in nursing homes, hospitals, or even in their own house. Nursing is the act of promoting health for others, and of providing care and security with the skills nurses have acquired. However, those who are nursing can also harm, or hurt people by advising them. Elder abuse can take many forms such as financial abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.
Resident to resident abuse may be physical, sexual or psychological. Nursing home patients should be protected from other residents.
Though elderly abuse occurs in many nursing homes, it is preventable. It is the nursing aide 's responsibility to provide quality and comfortable care, free from abuse. Many people are not aware that there are several other types of abuse in addition to physical abuse and many are not aware of the signs. If abuse should occur, anyone who suspects or witnesses the abuse is responsible for reporting it. Knowing the types of abuse, being aware of the signs, and reporting incidents are all ways to prevent abuse in nursing homes.
Albeit LTC facilities are designed to benefit individuals with disabilities, residents in LTC settings are often victims of unethical practices conducted by healthcare employees. Types of abuse commonly seen in long-term care ranges from withholding food from the individual, overdosing residents with medication to keep them calm, withholding individuals from activities, physically beating or spanking residents, and the list goes on. There are many instances where residents are verbally abused, called names, and profanity is used against the individuals. This type of behavior from health care professionals is unacceptable, and these incidents must be
Nursing Home Abuse With over 1.5 million elderly and dependent adults now living in nursing homes throughout the country, abuse and neglect has become a widespread problem. Even though some nursing homes provide good care, many are subjecting helpless residents to needless suffering and death. Most residents in nursing homes are dependent on the staff for most or all their needs such as food, water, medicine, toileting, grooming- almost all their daily care. Unfortunately, many residents in nursing homes today are starved, dehydrated, over-medicated, and suffer painful pressure sores. They are often isolated, ignored, and deprived of social contact and stimulation.
Elder abuse is a very sad reality. With an understanding of what the term elder abuse encompasses, who is at risk, what the warning signs are, the statutes that are there to protect the elderly, who is mandated to report the abuse, and how to report the abuse, it is important to minimize the crime. As with all things, the most important way to prevent something from happening is to educate, and elder abuse is no different. If care takers had education about the numerous resources there are, such as support groups and counseling, elder abuse could possibly be decreased exponentially.
Elder abuse is “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” (UCD and HSE 2012). It is inappropriate actions against an older person that harms them and defys them in any way and violates them as a human being. The forms of abuse can be physical, sexual. psychological, financial or material abuse , neglect on acts of commission or discriminatory abuse.(UCD and HSE 2012). There are different kinds of abuse and abusing patterns that can happen to an elder person such as Long-term abuse, Opportunistic abuse, Situational abuse, Neglect of a person’s needs, Institutional abuse, Unacceptable forms of ‘treatments’ which include acts of punishment, racist and discriminatory practice, failure to get access to key services such as health care or any other forms of care. Mishandling of benefits or Fraud or intimidation in connection with wills, property ...
Of nursing home staff interviewed in 2004, nearly 40% admitted to committing at least one psychologically abusive act toward a resident and 10% admitted to physically abusing a resident in the preceding year.[1] Not only are nursing home residents at risk of being abused by their caretakers but they are also at risk of being restrained, which may lead to a form of abuse. With five percent of the elderly population, or one to two million instances of elder abuse occurring yearly there is no doubt that elder abuse deserves serious consideration.[2]
for youngsters who have a long history of convictions for less serious felonies for which the juvenile court disposition has not been effective” (qtd. in Katel).
Kick, Ella. "Overview: Health Care and the Aging Population: What Are Today's Challenges?" The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. N.p., n.d. Web.
Sadly, elder abuse is common when discussing the negative impacts that family caregiving might have on a senior. This often comes in the form of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, or financial abuse. All of these forms of abuse take advantage of the elderly, this is due to them being incapacitated or too weak and embarrassed to make it stop. In terms of family caregiving, neglect is the largest breach of trust. Neglect is defined as a failure to protect an elder from harm. Although caregiving is no simple job, giving the elderly the care they need is what the job entails. Often times those that are abused are most likely women. The most often abused also tend to have memory issues or are considered disabled in some way. Frail seniors that are very dependent on others to assist with daily life activities are some of the most common to become