Elder Abuse
Introduction
Mr. White, an 81-year-old widower who suffers from a stroke, lives with the only family left for him, his stepsister and her daughter. The two have been taking care of him by driving Mr. White to his appointments and to the bank for money to help pay the bills. Due to his deteriorating health and gratitude to his stepsister, he trusted his stepsister with great soul to manage all of his finances. Mr. White is so blinded by their hypocrisy that he did not know that the two were gamblers. That day onwards they have been secretly spending his money for their personal interests. Their interest in Mr. White also dwindled as he is often left without food while the two are busy playing it the casino. After losing large sums of money, they would burst their emotions by pinching him and screaming at him saying he is useless and a burden. Mr. White has lost 30 lbs. in 3 months and locks himself in his room whenever the two are around. Mr. White is experiencing a usually hidden and underreported problem called the elder abuse. Elder abuse, according to World Health Organization (para.1), (as cited in Daly & Schoenfelder, 2011, p.11) 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”. Research estimates that as many as 700,000 to 1.2 million adults older than 65 years of age suffer from elder abuse (Taylor C., Lillis C., LeMone P., Lynn P, 2011, p. 426). This is far less from the accurate number of incidents because only 1 in 10 cases is reported. (Taylor et. al., p. 426). Elder abuse is indeed more prevalent that we think it is. Hence, th...
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Lewis, S., Dirksen, S., Heitkemper, M., Bucher, L., Camera, I., (2012). Medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems . (8thed.) St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
National Center on Elder Abuse. (2011). Major types of elder abuse. Retrieved from http:// www. ncea.aoa.gov.NCEAroot/Main_site/FAQ/Basics/Types_Of_Abuse.aspx.
National Center on Elder Abuse. (2007). Major types of elder abuse. Retrieved from http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/NCEAroot/Main_Site/FAQ/Basics/Type_Of_Abuse.aspx.
Taylor, C.R., LeMone, P., Lillis, C., & Lynn, P. (2012). Fundamentals of nursing: The art and science of nursing care. (6th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Ageing and life course: Elder abuse. Retrieved from http:// www.who.int/ageing/projects/elder_abuse/en/index.html.
According to Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services, there are three things that elder abuse can be classified as. It can be classified as abuse, neglect, or likelihood of serious physical harm. While all of these classifications sounds quite similar, there are some subtle differences. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services defines abuse as " the infliction of physical, sexual, or emotional injury or harm including financial exploitation by any person, firm, or corporation" ("Protective Services For Adults," n.d., para. 4). Elder neglect is "the failure to provide services to an eligible adult by any person, firm, or corporation with a legal or contractual duty to do so, when such failure presents either an imminent danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the client or a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm would result"("Protective Services For Adults," n.d., para. 4). Abuse, neglect, as well as likelihood of serious physical harm are all reportable by law. ("Protective Services For Adults," n.d).
"Elder Abuse & Neglect." Elder Abuse and Neglect: Warning Signs, Risk Factors, Prevention, Help. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2014. .
Rudnick, J. D., & Teaster, P. B. (2013). Elder abuse and neglect: A survey of clergy awareness, knowledge, and intervention preferences. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 25(4), 323-338.
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.
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]
Elder Abuse is defined as any activity performed by an individual whereby these actions cause suffering of the older adult, intentionally or not (Touhy, Jett, Boscart & McCleary, 2012, p. 378). Unfortunately, the incidents of elder abuse continue to rise with the increasing number of people entering older adulthood. It is interesting to note that although elder abuse is highly under reported its occurrence increased three fold over a ten-year period (Friese & Collopy, 2010, p. 61). Certainly, it is a nurse’s duty to provide holistic care to his or her patients, which must include protection from abuse. Elder abuse can take on many forms including physical, emotional, sexual, neglect and financial. It is important to note that for the purposes of this paper, this writer will focus solely on financial abuse. When one considers the definition of financial abuse, it is deemed to be a misuse of another individual’s finances for ones own monetary gain. Thus, this type of abuse has become the most common and fastest growing form of all. As such, it is important for all nurses to understand financial abuse and who is at risk, how it presents, and what can be done to prevent it in order to protect the elderly.
There has been an increase in the number of elderly that have been subjected to violence and mistreatment. This type of treatment is associated with the individual’s dependency on others; whether it be a relative, acquaintance and/or institution (Meadows, 2010). According to estimates “between 1 and 2 million Americans aged 65 years or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for case or protection (National Research Council Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of elder abuse and neglect, 2003)” (Meadows, 2010, p. 87). The type of abuse that elderly get subjected to is not only physical, it may also be emotional. Obviously, abuse may take on many different forms and may include: financial abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. This abuse is not limited to certain circumstances it can happen in poor, middle-class or upper income household. This includes a variety of demographs and ethnicities (Meadows, 2010). Anyone may potential cause abuse and/or neglect.
The number of elders who are abused in this country and around the world each day is growing at an astonishing rate be it from individuals or institutions. As many as one in ten older adults and one in two people with dementia are victims of elder abuse. Unfortunately, for every case that gets reported there are 23 that go unreported. ("Get Info," 2014) as you can see from the statistics elder abuse is not uncommon in the United States. Any elder has the potential of being physically, emotionally, sexually, or financially abused by another individual. Elders can also cause harm to themselves by neglecting their daily needs. At St. Rita’s nursing home, during Katrina, thirty-five elderly residents were trapped inside all eventually drowning in their wheelchairs and beds.
Every American should have the right to live free from the fear of abuse. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. The National Center on Elder Abuse Administration on Aging (NCEA) stated, “In the United States, the 2010 Census recorded the greatest number and proportion of people age 65 and older in all of decennial census history: 40.3 million, or 13% of the total population. This “Boomer Generation” effect will continue for decades”. This suggests that with the population of elders increasing, the abuse of elders will grow much higher. Elder abuse if defined as intentionally causing harm to a vulnerable elder by a caregiver or someone they trust. There are five main types of abuse; Physical, sexual, neglect, emotional or psychological
Potter, P.A,& Perry, A. G. (2009).Fundamentals of Nursing (8th ed.). Wileyblackwellpublishing, A Company of John Wiley and sons, Canada.
Elder abuse suffered at the hands of family members is quickly becoming a major societal problem that requires immediate attention. The American Psychological Association estimates that nearly two million older adults suffer some type of abuse, typically at the hands of family (Fleck & Schmidt, p. 2). However, this number is most likely a gross underestimate as many elderly victims choose not to come forward and report the crime fearing the impact it will have on the family relationship. More people are living longer today than ever before. As a result, family members are taxed with the responsibility of providing care to this expanding population and most are ill prepared for the burden it can create in one’s daily life. The stress this additional role brings can, in some cases, result in abuse toward the elderly individual (Linzer, p.165-66). Elder abuse can take many forms. It may be physical, emotional or sexual; psychological, financial and material exploitation and neglect and abandonment of the older victim (Corey Et Al, p. 251). Whichever form the abuse takes, the impact on the victim is devastating. It is not uncommon for the abused to be left suffering with depression, a sense of helplessness, fear, shame and low self-esteem (Linzer, p. 166).
Abuse is a deliberate action and will always violate an individual’s rights. Most abuse happens in the home setting, which is where a majority of caregiving occurs. Elder abuse can also take place in institutional settings such as retirement homes, hospice care and long-term care facilities. The majority of abusers are actually spouses or adult children, but is not limited to grandchildren and other members of family or community (Robinson, de Benedictis & Segal, 2013). The most common types of elder mistreatment are physical, verbal, emotional, psychological, or sexual. There are circumstances where financial exploitation and medical abuse are also seen.
Potter, P. A., & Perry, A. G. (2005). Fundamentals of nursing (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby,
Taylor, C. R., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P. (2011). Fundamentals of nursing: The art and science of nursing care (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Taylor, C. R., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P. (2011). Fundamentals of nursing: The art and science of nursing care (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.