Elder Abuse: What you need to know and simple ways to prevent it

Elder abuse is a hidden epidemic, that has for many years been an under-reported and under examined issue. In recent years, this phenomenon has gained more attention as we find not only increasing North American populations aging, but the global population as a whole.

As the number of older adults increases, inevitably, the number of elder abuse cases will too increase. Therefore, it is our public responsibility to increase awareness and mobilize meaningful action to reduce risk and prevent elder abuse.

What is elder abuse?

In order to raise awareness, we must first understand what constitutes Elder Abuse. The World Health Organization has defined Elder Abuse as, ‘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’.[i]

What are the different forms of elder abuse?

Financial abuse– When finances and assets are mismanaged without the informed consent of the older adult. This type of abuse is most often committed by family members. However, there are a number of scams and fraudulent marketing schemes that also target seniors.

Psychological abuse– When any action, either verbal or non-verbal, results in emotional pain, distress, fear, diminished dignity or self-esteem. This may include, but is not limited to: harassment, intimidation, ridicule, threats of institutionalization, and not permitting seniors to socialize or attend events outside of the home.

Physical abuse – When an act of physical harm is perpetrated towards an older adult that results in discomfort, pain, and/or physical injury. Physical abuse also includes sexual assault.

Neglect- When the basic needs of an older adult are not being met by an individual, agency, or institution involved in their care.  Neglect can be intentional, when care and basic necessities are purposefully withheld. However, neglect can also be unintentional, particularly in cases where the care provider lacks the knowledge or experience required to provide care and access the resources the older adult requires.

What can I do to prevent elder abuse?

1. Be aware

• Recognize that elder abuse exists and make efforts to learn more about the signs and symptoms of elder abuse and neglect. Pay attention to the lives of your older neighbours, friends, and community members. Have they become withdrawn or isolated, acted fearful around certain individuals, had unexplained bruises or physical injuries?

2. Break the stigma

• Elder abuse cases are largely underreported, partly due to the powerful stigma attached to victims. Often, the perpetrators of elder abuse are family members, and this makes it even more difficult for victims to come forward. In order to break down the misconception that elder abuse is a ‘private family matter’, it is important that we raise awareness by talking about the issue with our family, friends, and communities.

3. Be proactive

• If you are an older adult, plan ahead, and consider establishing a trusted power of attorney(s), who may protect your best interests and act on your behalf in the future. You can assign Power of attorney for both property and personal care.
• For more information on appointing POA, refer to the following links. Click here for U.S. residents : www.state.gov and for Canadian residents: www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca

4. Support caregivers

• While care giving can be a very rewarding and enriching experience, the demands of care-giving can also be demanding and overwhelming. If you are a caregiver yourself, recognize when you may be feeling overburdened and don’t be afraid to reach out to trusted others or agencies that can help. This may include: taking a break by arranging in-home respite care, attending local caregiver support groups or considering enrolling your loved one in an adult day program.
• Visit one of these websites for more information regarding caregiver support services. For U.S. residents: caregiver.org , https://eldercare.acl.gov , or www.n4a.org. For Canadian residents: https://seniorsforseniors.ca/resources

5. Report it

• If you suspect an older adult is being neglected or abused, report it to local authorities. In cases of non-emergency, you can find phone numbers and websites for support and hotlines in the links below for each state or province and territory. 
• For US hotlines and support visit: https://ncea.acl.gov/resources/state.html 
• For Canadian hotlines and support visit the canada.ca website: http://bit.ly/2mxhwOl  

6. Get involved

• Consider volunteering. There are many opportunities to become involved in programs that support seniors, such as Meals on Wheels or Transportation Services. Contact any local seniors support services agencies by researching them online or in your local phone book.
• Participate in your local agencies ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ event on June 15^th.

References

The following sources informed some of the content in this article.

http://www.apa.org/pi/prevent-violence/resources/elder-abuse.aspx

http://seniorsfirstbc.ca/getting-help/elder-abuse-and-neglect/

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs357/en/

http://www.elderabuseontario.com/what-is-elder-abuse/forms-of-abuse/

http://www.elderabuseontario.com/what-is-elder-abuse/prevention/

 

[i] World Health Organization. (n.d.) Ageing and life course. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/ageing/projects/elder_abuse/en/

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