Elder abuse

Elder abuse is something that is not really acknowledged, with the exception of an eye opening occassional report. But then, just as so many elderly people are placed in "warehouses" we call nursing homes, the subject in shelved away, too.

Elder abuse is not exclusive to nursing homes, it happens behind many closed doors, making it so easy to ignore.

Is it because they've "lived their lives" or "they really don't have anything left to contribute."

The only time you see elderly people on television or online is usually in ads for illness. After all, we are a youth oriented society ...but hey, money can be made from Medicare and  insurance as far as old people. And let's not forget the over the counter products!

It's a complicated subject and not just needs discussion, not just reaction, but action. Below is an article from the World Health Organization which provides recent information. 

wnctimes Marjorie Farrington

"Abusive acts in institutions may include physically restraining patients, depriving them of dignity (for instance, by leaving them in soiled clothes) and choice over daily affairs; intentionally providing insufficient care (such as allowing them to develop pressure sores); over- and under-medicating and withholding medication from patients; and emotional neglect and abuse. Emerging evidence indicates that the prevalence of elder abuse in both the community and in institutions have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. A US study, for instance, suggests that rates in the community may have increased by as much as 84%." 

WHO report Elder Abuse June 15, 2021 

Key facts

Around 1 in 6 people 60 years and older experienced some form of abuse in community settings during the past year.
Rates of elder abuse are high in institutions such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities, with 2 in 3 staff reporting that they have committed abuse in the past year.
Rates of elder abuse have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elder abuse can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences.
Elder abuse is predicted to increase as many countries are experiencing rapidly ageing populations.
The global population of people aged 60 years and older will more than double, from 900 million in 2015 to about 2 billion in 2050.
Elder abuse 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. This type of violence constitutes a violation of human rights and includes physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse; financial and material abuse; abandonment; neglect; and serious loss of dignity and respect. Scope of the problem
Elder abuse is an important public health problem. A 2017 study based on the best available evidence from 52 studies in 28 countries from diverse regions, including 12 low- and middle-income countries, estimated that, over the past year, 15.7% of people aged 60 years and older were subjected to some form of abuse (1). This is likely to be an underestimation, as only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is reported, in part because older people are often afraid to report cases of abuse to family, friends, or to the authorities. Consequently, any prevalence rates are likely to be underestimated. Although rigorous data are limited, the study provides prevalence estimates, drawing on all available studies, of the number of older people affected by different types of abuse. Data on the extent of the problem in institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities are scarce. However, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of recent studies on elder abuse in both institutional and community settings based on self-report by older adults suggests that the rates of abuse are much higher in institutions than in community settings. Estimates of elder abuse and its subtypes in the institutions were calculated from all studies that collected data from staff as well as older adults and their proxies. A total of 9 studies in 6 countries based on staff self-reports on perpetrating abuse were analyzed together. The finding indicates that 64.2% of staff perpetrated some form of abuse in the past year. The self-reported estimates of elder abuse subtypes by staff and older residents suggest similarities in the magnitudes of the problem.

continue reading report @ link below