Elderly Abuse In Nursing Homes Essay

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Elderly Abuse in Nursing Homes

Statement of the Problem

Elder abuse in nursing home is a social problem that has had more and more attention in these recent years. “Elder abuse is the most recent domestic violence issue to gain the attention of the public and the medical community.” (Elder Abuse: A Review) According to the Senate Special Committee, about 5 “million older Americans are abused and neglected every year.” Abuse for the elderly can be considered a social problem due to the people who are in denial of it actually occurring, for example, the caregivers and nurses who do not consider themselves to be actually performing the abuse. It is a problem because the elders are put into these nursing homes by loved ones and ones who …show more content…

There are many different theories on attempts of how to make abuse cases in nursing homes more exposed. It is believed that introducing protocols regarding the elder’s rights and personal safety be instilled into the nursing homes and demonstrated to the residents for more self-awareness. Another idea values communication. This means that the elders are encouraged to make relationships with those in the community so that way they can feel comfortable explaining any abusive or unnecessary behavior that is carried out by their nurse or caregiver. Nursing homes should have a more strict policy regarding the display and availability of their valuables being exposed in their rooms. According to the article, “Elder abuse in nursing homes: Prevention and resolution strategies and barriers”, the management and staff must develop a “zero tolerance” policy to put an end to the obstructive behavior. Last, but not least, the facility must agree to carry out these procedures and protocols and instill the satisfaction of security of the patients who reside in the nursing home for their well-being. However, though there may be many different theories that have the objective of ending nursing home abuse and neglect, it is up to research itself to …show more content…

and Laura Burke Fletcher. 2005. “Elder abuse in nursing homes: Prevention and resolution strategies and barriers.” Journal of Criminal Justice. Retrieved October 29, 2017 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047235204001382?via%3Dihub).
Levine, Jeffrey M. 2003. “Elder neglect and abuse.” Geriatrics 58(10):37–44.
Kleinschmidt, Kurt C. 2005. “Elder Abuse: A Review.” Annals of Emergency Medicine. Retrieved October 29, 2017 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196064497700064).
Meeks‐Sjostrom, Diana. 2004. “A Comparison of Three Measures of Elder Abuse.” Journal of Nursing Scholarship. Retrieved October 29, 2017

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