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

 

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)
  • Click HERE to visit the website of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse

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

Read website article: Detecting Elder Abuse and Neglect: Assessment and Intervention

  • 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

Read info on Statistics of Elder Abuse

Read list of Barriers to getting help

Mistreatment in Long-term Care Settings

Information about abuse of residents in Long-Term Care facilities - Elder Abuse Long Term Care Fact Sheet (2012)

Here are the next steps if you ... suspect abuse, neglect or exploitation


Assessment

Lesson 23 Discussion

This will be a critical thinking discussion. While the signs and symptoms of abuse can be often readily identified, intervention is often still difficult to manage. We simply can't go in and "take over" even when there is clear evidence. As a group, let's brainstorm the barriers that exist to successful interventions when we see signs of elder abuse...both in the community and within long-term care settings.