Abuse And Self Awareness Essay

Adult Protection Services investigate claims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. While interning at Adult Protection Services, I have witness several different circumstancing were clients require services. I have been able to work in at least three different cities, and each city clients’ needs were different. For example, majority of the investigations in Port Arthur are considered to be neglect, in particular self-neglect. Self-Neglect can be defined is he failure to provide for one's self the goods or services, including medical services, which are necessary to avoid physical or emotional harm or pain or the failure of a caretaker to provide such goods or services. According to Franzine and Dyer (2008) “Self-neglect is the most common allegation investigated by APS agencies In Texas, 62.5% of APS cases were referred for self-neglect”(Franzin &

Normally the causes of self-neglect happen with elderly people who suffers from a number of medical and physical problems. “Studies have shown that dementia and depression are associated with elder self-neglect and that self-neglect is an independent risk factor for death. In a recent study conducted in Houston, Texas, of 460 elderly people who were found to neglect themselves, mental disorders was the second most commonly listed diagnosis group”. Social problems such as poverty, lack of affordable health care, and societal vales are addressed in my practicum setting. Majority of the elderly population lives on a fix income, some of our clients monthly income ranges between 600-1500 dollars a month. Most of the elderly clients cannot afford their living expenses. Some clients are unable to get other state benefits such as, food stamps because their income does not qualify for that service. Some clients that did recive food stamps would only receive about 100 dollars a month. Elderly people living in poverty conditions often times cannot afford medication, rent, doctors’ visits, utilities, and other