Elder Abuse Services
The Problem: Elder Abuse is the growing at an alarming rate in our society. The number of “Baby Boomers” will cause our communities to have high incidences of elder abuse.
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By the year 2010, 40 million Americans will be over the age of 65.
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In 2030 more people will be over the age of 65 than under the age of 18.
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Over 75% of elder Abuse perpetrators are related to the victim by blood or marriage.
- 1 out of 14 incidents are reported to authorities.
- Due to diminished physical abilities, many seniors have increased vulnerability to victimization.
- Many seniors have limited financial resources, limiting their ability to recover economically from victimization.
Definition:
Elder Abuse – The physical, sexual, and/or emotional mistreatment, neglect or financial exploitation of the basic needs of an adult, sixty years of age or older by a spouse, family member, friend or acquaintance in a domestic setting, which results in harm to the elder adult. The elder adult may or may not be physically or mentally impaired. We include self-neglect in the definition because almost half the cases of elder abuse that are reported involve self-neglect.
Elder Sexual Abuse - as non–consensual sexual contact of any kind with an elderly person. Sexual contact with a person incapable of giving consent is also considered sexual abuse.
Neglect – The willful or non-willful failure by the caregiver to fulfill his/her care-taking obligations or duties. Including failure to provide a safe environment or life necessities (hearing-aids, walkers, glasses, prescriptions, dentures).
Active Neglect – Withholding of items necessary for daily living such as food, exercise, medicine, personal hygiene, companionship and bathroom assistance.
Passive Neglect – Elderly person is left alone, isolated, forgotten or ignored.
Self Neglect – Is not always recognized, but is a form of elder abuse. Self neglect occurs when individuals neglect their personal needs to a degree that it imperils their health or existence.
Abandonment – Desertion by the person who has responsibility to provide care to an elderly person.
Abuse Risk Factors
Factors that have been shown to bear a significant correlation to elder abuse are:
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Physical or cognitive impairment of survivor
- Isolation of the survivor
- Caregiver stress
- Dependence of the abuser on the survivor
- Psychopathology or mental incapacity of the abuser
- Caregiver or strangers (involved with a vulnerable or incapacitated adult’s care and financial management)
Elder Domestic Violence
General Bias towards Older Women
When we “honor” older women for the length of their lives and “respect” them for life experience, we distance ourselves from them as people.
We ask older women to tell their life stories, but we rarely ask their opinions about the here and now. We basically assume that their time is in the past, which is finished, and that they have no stake in the present or the future.
This assumption prohibits older women from becoming actively involved in those matters that directly affect them.
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2/3 of elder domestic abuse victims are women.
- Family members perpetrate more than ½ of reported elder abuse cases, with 14-25% by the spouse.
- Older battered women are less likely to be identified because of ageist assumptions on the part of health care providers and other professionals.
- Older battered women are less likely to seek help because:
- They may depend on the abuser for physical care
- They may have been socialized to minimize their needs, desires, etc.
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They fear nursing home placement
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Worry their competence may be questioned
- They view assistance from social or psychological services as indicative of their own failure or weakness
- They fear the stigma attached to divorce
From information complied by National Center on Elder Abuse
Elder Sexual Abuse Signs and Symptoms
- Bruised around the breasts, inner thighs, or genital area
- Unexplained venereal disease or genital infections
- Unexplained STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)
- Unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding
- Torn, soiled, stained or bloody underclothing
- Difficulty sitting or walking
- Pain and itching in genital area
- An elder’s report of being sexually assaulted or raped.
- Malnutrition and/or dehydration (dry skin, sunken eyes, weight loss)
- Unexpected or unexplained deterioration of health
- Insomnia, sleep deprivation, or need for excessive sleep
- Under or over medication
- Change in appetite
- Unexplained paranoia
Along with direct services, we are part of a collaborative project which provides training to local law enforcement agencies on elder abuse dynamics, appropriate response and legal statutes.
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