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The speaker, however, quoted statistitics that demonstrated the vast majority of reported cases taking place in homes. The vast number of unreported cases also keeps the ignorance about this problem alive and well.
Connected to these problems are other contributing factors such as the increased vulnerability of the elderly, their greater dependence, their susceptibility to dementia, a lack of basic awareness of the abuse, and the tendency to disbelieve reports about elder persons being abused. The speaker also suggests that issues such as mental illness, our basic desensitization to violence, a sense of entitlement, a propensity for power and control, and ageism could be contributing factors to the abuse of elder persons by individuals.
When taking a wider perspective of the issue, however, my view is that the most important contributing factor is both ignorance and a tendency to ignore the suffering caused by this crime. As an individual, I like to tell myself that I am a caring person,...
However, the video shocked me, because I became aware of just how unaware I am of such abuse occurring in society.
For this reason, I feel we should make a collective effort, as a society, to become more educated about this gross violation of human rights. We have no right to call ourselves democratic, or even civilized if we allow this type of abuse to continue right under our noses. We should become involved, for example, in groups that raise awareness and establish movements against the abuse of the elderly. As a society, we should also experience a basic shift of consciousness in what is important.
All human life is vital for society as a whole. Our children are our future; our workforce is our current wealth and well-being; our elderly represent our past and the wisdom we gained by learning from our experiences. As the representatives of our past experiences and learning opportunities, our elderly should be honored, not abused.
126). Although there are an increasing number of elderly in the United States today with many more expected in the future, the study of elder abuse is of fairly recent origin. During the last three decades of the 20th century, following the "discovery" of child abuse and domestic violence, scholars and professionals started taking an active interest in the subject of elder abuse. This increased attention from the academic
If one takes into account that the number of elderly in nursing homes in the country is on the increase, then the need for an adequate awareness of and research into the problem becomes evident. One of the central questions that need to be addressed is why this form of abuse occurs with such general frequency. While there will always be those few individuals who should not be in responsible
That is because older patients bruise very easily (hence it would be conjecture that a bruise might have been the result of violence); also doctors may be reluctant to report a certain condition as abuse simply because they would (by law) then have to report it. Reporting a possible incident of abuse against an older patient would mean the doctor would have to testify in court, and might be
A lack of good relationships with staff can also result in a high risk factor for abuse from caregivers at these facilities. According to Woolf (1998), other factors that can contribute to the abuse of elderly persons, either in care facilities or in the home environment include external stress and intra-individual dynamics or personal problems. In terms of the former, a family members financial problems, job stress, or other issues
Ruth E. Mathias and a.E. Benjamin (2003) report that social workers are becoming increasingly concerned about elder abuse in long-term care settings (p. 174). A study conducted by these social scientists/authors, reveals that Medicaid related agency care demonstrates no harmful or increase in the abuse suffered by elderly people receiving care through private agencies, but that there is little social worker oversight, and because of that, reports and information
In a study of the prevalence of elder abuse in the United States, financial difficulties on the part of the abuser did appear to be an important risk factor (Krug, 2002, pp. 130-131). Relationship factors - in the early theoretical models, the level of stress of caregivers was seen as a risk factor that linked elder abuse with care of an elderly relative. While the accepted image of abuse depicts