Lesson 23: Elder Abuse
Attention
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
- Identify the risk factors and "red flags" associated with elder abuse
- Identify potential barriers to interventions in elder abuse
Teaching
Read Chapter 17 in Cohen & Eisdorfer
Click HERE to visit the website of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
Defining Elder Abuse
- Physical abuse, the intentional infliction of physical pain or injury
- Sexual abuse, nonconsensual sexual contact
- Psychological abuse, the intentional infliction of emotional distress
- Financial exploitation, inappropriate and nonconsensual use of assets for another's benefit
- Neglect, refusal or failure of caregivers to provide necessary care
- Self-neglect, behaviors that threaten an older person's health, safely, and well-being
- Miscellaneous forms of abuse, violations of personal rights (e.g. respect for dignity and autonomy, medical abuse, and abandonment)
Most victims of elder abuse are frail and chronically ill...they are vulnerable to the abuse.
Older women are more often abused, but possibly because they are more likely to report it.
As with any form of abuse, you are required to report.
Risk Factors
- Transgenerational family violence theory assumes that violence is a learned behavior
- Stress of caregiving and caregiver psychopathology
- Person is physically dependent on caregiver, caregiver is financially dependent on person
- Perpetrator's characteristics
Review the Signs of Abuse (textbook)
- Physical Abuse
- Sexual Abuse
- Emotional or Psychological Abuse
- Financial Exploitation
- Self Neglect
- Violations of Human Rights
- Undue Influence
Assessment of Patient Safety and Care Planning
- Immediate safety
- Health and need for treatment
- Resources
- Cognitive functioning
- Psychological functioning
- Suspected perpetrators
- Social and financial resources
- Intervention---the care plan of the Case Manager
Mistreatment in Long-term Care Settings
Assessment
Lesson 23 Discussion
While the signs and symptoms of some types of elder abuse can be readily identified, others are more insidious. What factors can you use to determine that abuse is present? Even when the signs and symptoms are apparent, intervention is still difficult to manage. We simply can't go in and "take over" even when there is clear evidence. What barriers exist to successful interventions when we see signs of elder abuse? Are the barriers different when the person is in the community than when they are in a long term care setting? Does the relationship of the perpetrator to the victim have an effect?