Elder Abuse

Elder Abuse

Population ageing is currently one of the most significant demographic trends and becoming a worldwide problem(cite) specially among the elderly who are often the most recognized and forgotten group in this analysis. They are recognized as the ’elder’ the wisest, and perhaps the most knowledgeable about life and its experiences. This population however, is forgotten in terms of the respect and value it once contributed to society. And in today’s world this group is often marginalized because of age. The older they get, the more useless they become in the eyes of society and thus this attitude viewed towards the elderly leads to neglect and abuse. They are therefore excluded from the active participation, and decision making in society. This isolated group is thus discriminated against on the basis of age and gender which can be referred to factors such as ageism and sexism. Nevertheless, these factors not only attribute to elder abuse but are viewed differently within subcultures. Therefore, it is important to examine why elder abuse occurs and what are its consequences in the context of human rights agenda.

When examining elder abuse, one has to first understand its terminology. However, its terminology has not been easily defined by the researchers since the term ‘elder abuse’ can be referred to many forms of abuse. Moreover, a lack of clarity exists as to what should and should not be included in definitions of elder abuse such as environmental issues, cultural issues, what constitutes neglect and if self-neglect is elder abuse(cite). And for this very reason The World Health Organisation (2002) defined elder abuse as “a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where t...

... middle of paper ...

...at as the diversity between various groups(cite).

All in all, elder abuse is a significant social issue in society. The consideration of elder abuse through the lens of ageism, and sexism offers a unique mode for examining elder abuse in deeper context. It offers a form of analysis of how society abuses and neglects the elderly in its institutions, such as healthcare facilities. Moreover, through elder abuse, we understand how ageism, and sexism are the root causes of this social phenomena and how each gender is separately affected by it. However, one must not forget that this subject is viewed differently and in some cases similarly within subcultures. Definition of elder abuse for this reason is important and if it is not defined correctly within these subcultures, it can be unidentified and tolerated when underpinned by ageist and sexist assumptions(cite).