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Theories of elder abuse essay
Causes and consequences of elderly abuse
Elder abuse introduction
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Introduction
When 911 is called regarding an elderly person getting hurt, paramedics are first on the scene. Paramedics need the better training for recognizing, reporting and stopping the cycle of elder abuse. According to Elder abuse Ontario, there are over 2 million elders over the age of 65. Two to ten percent of seniors are abused meaning that there are between 40,000 and 200,000 seniors living in Ontario who have experienced or are experiencing elder abuse (Elder abuse Ontario, 2017).
Background
Elder abuse is the mistreatment towards an elderly individual over the age of 60. According to the Administration on Aging, there are seven basic types of elder abuse: physical, sexual, neglect, exploitation, emotional, abandonment, and
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There are many reasons for emergency responders failing to report elder abuse such as, they are unclear of the definition of abuse, they are unaware of reporting law, they lack the information about which authority to report to and they may have concerns regarding anonymity. Ninety-five percent of the respondents of a survey stated that training related to elder abuse was not available through their Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agency (Seamon, 1996). In the BLS, it states different ways to manage elder abuse but the descriptions are very brief. Some things it says to do is to alert the hospital staff of any suspicions or to fill out an incident report. A report from the National Institutes of Health suggested that “paramedics and EMT’s lack complete understanding of their role in the identification and reporting of elder abuse” (Walton law firm, …show more content…
(2015). Gale Encyclopedia of Senior Health. Retrieved from http://galenet.galegroup.com.eztest.ocls.ca/servlet/HWRC/hits?r=d&origSearch=true&rlt=1&o=&bucket=ref&n=10&l=d&searchTerm=2NTA&index=BA&basicSearchOption=KE&tcit=1_1_0_1_1_1&c=1&docNum=CX3622400261&locID=ko_acd_lac&secondary=false&t=RK&s=1&SU=Elder+abuse&finalAuth=true&userGroupName=ko_acd_lac
Friese, G. & Collopy, K.T. (2010). Geriatric Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.emsworld.com/article/10319448/geriatric-abuse
Nurse fired over elder abuse accusations. (2014, October 21). Legal Monitor Worldwide. Retrieved from http://galenet.galegroup.com.eztest.ocls.ca/servlet/HWRC/hits?r=d&origSearch=true&rlt=1&o=&bucket=ref&n=10&l=d&searchTerm=2NTA&index=BA&basicSearchOption=KE&tcit=1_1_0_1_1_1&c=9&docNum=A386728672&locID=ko_acd_lac&secondary=false&t=RK&s=1&SU=Elder+abuse
Paradise, L.A & Longe, J.L. (2009). Elder Abuse. Retrieved from
Elder abuse is a very sad reality. With an understanding of what the term elder abuse encompasses, who is at risk, what the warning signs are, the statutes that are there to protect the elderly, who is mandated to report the abuse, and how to report the abuse, it is important to minimize the crime. As with all things, the most important way to prevent something from happening is to educate, and elder abuse is no different. If care takers had education about the numerous resources there are, such as support groups and counseling, elder abuse could possibly be decreased exponentially.
Some of these cases of abuse are done in elderly homes by family members. In the first section of the article, the authors discuss the definition of elder abuse. The authors began with the most common types of elder abuse, which are physical and neglect. Elder abuse is the intentional use of physical force that results in acute or chronic illness, bodily injury, physical pain, functional impairment, distress, or death (Choi NG & Mayer J. In summary, the rhetorical analysis essay discusses how elder abuse and neglect affect the victims physically, emotionally, and professionally.
Everyone has an aging relative or knows an elderly citizen in their community that they care about. Now imagine, if you found out that this person was being abused, you would certainly want to know how to prevent or stop this abuse. That is what I will be talking about today: what elder abuse is? and how to spot the signs of abuse, prevent it, and educate others.
Elder abuse is causing emotional, physical or sexual harm, financial exploitation, or intentional or unintentional neglect to someone of greater age, whether it be from a family member or a stranger. Elder abuse has been a social issue for many years prior to any kind of legislation being made. Victims of elder abuse are often older adults ages 60 to 75 and the person abusing the elder is usually someone the victim knows, but could be a stranger in certain cases.
I have taken a training on mandatory reporting every year as it is required by the agencies I have worked for. As a result, I did not learn anything new from this particular training. However it serves as a reminder of my duty to report and the importance of such a duty in the work that we do. What I would like to see is a training on reporting for adults who are at risk, particularly the elderly and/or adults with a serious mental illness that have a guardian or live in assisted living. I do not know if the mandatory reporting laws extend to cover adults however I feel that if social workers suspect abuse, especially amongst at risk adults such as the elderly or seriously mentally ill, these suspicions should be reported to law enforcement and Adult Protective Services much in the same way as mandated for suspected abuse of
In the medical field, the workers are highly trained to be able to make a distinction between what is right and what is wrong. Elder abuse is becoming a serious issue in the health environment. As defined in the website, MedicineNet.com, elder abuse is: “the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of an elderly person, usually one who is disabled or frail”. The older population consists of people over sixty-five years old. They are very fragile and sometimes they are forgotten or abused. The elderly can be victims of mistreatment in nursing homes, hospitals, or even in their own house. Nursing is the act of promoting health for others, and of providing care and security with the skills nurses have acquired. However, those who are nursing can also harm, or hurt people by advising them. Elder abuse can take many forms such as financial abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.
Of nursing home staff interviewed in 2004, nearly 40% admitted to committing at least one psychologically abusive act toward a resident and 10% admitted to physically abusing a resident in the preceding year.[1] Not only are nursing home residents at risk of being abused by their caretakers but they are also at risk of being restrained, which may lead to a form of abuse. With five percent of the elderly population, or one to two million instances of elder abuse occurring yearly there is no doubt that elder abuse deserves serious consideration.[2]
Though elderly abuse occurs in many nursing homes, it is preventable. It is the nursing aide 's responsibility to provide quality and comfortable care, free from abuse. Many people are not aware that there are several other types of abuse in addition to physical abuse and many are not aware of the signs. If abuse should occur, anyone who suspects or witnesses the abuse is responsible for reporting it. Knowing the types of abuse, being aware of the signs, and reporting incidents are all ways to prevent abuse in nursing homes.
Meeks‐Sjostrom, Diana. 2004. “A Comparison of Three Measures of Elder Abuse.” Journal of Nursing Scholarship. Retrieved October 29, 2017
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 or violates their human and civil rights” (UCD and HSE 2012). It is inappropriate actions against an older person that harms them and defys them in any way and violates them as a human being. The forms of abuse can be physical, sexual. psychological, financial or material abuse , neglect on acts of commission or discriminatory abuse.(UCD and HSE 2012). There are different kinds of abuse and abusing patterns that can happen to an elder person such as Long-term abuse, Opportunistic abuse, Situational abuse, Neglect of a person’s needs, Institutional abuse, Unacceptable forms of ‘treatments’ which include acts of punishment, racist and discriminatory practice, failure to get access to key services such as health care or any other forms of care. Mishandling of benefits or Fraud or intimidation in connection with wills, property ...
There are currently two important pieces of legislation that address elder abuse issues. The Older Americans Act must submit to a reauthorization process every five years. Throughout the years there have been many adaptations to the act. Presently, there are four sections that apply to elder abuse primarily in the form of research processes, grant eligibili...
In order to understand how abuse has an effect on the elderly we must first understand the different types of elder abuse. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can aid in understanding the different forms by defining what each form entails (CDC, 2016). Physical abuse is the intentional use of physical force that results in illness, injury, pain, functional impairment, distress or even death. Neglect can be defined as failure by the
I will be describing the first three. Emotional Abuse (also known as: Verbal abuse, mental abuse, and psychological cruelty) includes acts or the failures to act by parents or caretakers that have caused or could cause serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional or mental disorders. This can include parents and/or caretakers using extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as the child being confined in a closet or dark room, being tied to a chair for long periods of time, or threatening or terrorizing a young child. Less severe acts, but no less damaging, are overly negative criticism or rejecting treatment, using degrading terms to describe the child, constant victimizing or blaming the child for situations. Neglect (the failure to provide for the child?s basic needs) can be physical, educational, or emotional.
I assumed responsibility as me and my friend walked home one night. We noticed a small crowd surrounding a man who was lying in the middle of the sidewalk. He appeared unconscious and did not respond to by standers attempting to physically wake him up. My friend was hesitant and insisted to cross the street, to avoid any “problems”. I initially agreed with my friend, but thought to myself there may be something seriously wrong. As we approached him, someone stated that he may not have a pulse. I checked his carotid and radial and did not feel anything. Prior to this incident, I had only been on one cardiac arrest call. I immediately told the nearest person to call 911. I instructed my friend to go across the street to the Shoprite and ask security for an AED. I began compressions and continued CPR with security from Shoprite as we waited for EMS to arrive. At the time, I was still a new EMT riding as a third for my local volunteer squad. This particular incident allowed me to take charge of the situation, rather than having a senior EMS member to help