Monday, April 22, 2019

By Susan Morris


Elderly abuse is an elastic term. One cant really definitively tell where it starts and where it ends. You might be observing some telltale signs of maltreatment and still hover over the edge because of indecision. A bit of definition should come in handy. This, in turn, will help you become more aware and more proactive. Learn about the types, signs, and challenges with elder abuse.

You can probably imagine why this is a thing. Elders have come to be physiologically and sometimes mentally and psychologically weaker than other people. Their overt reliance and dependence have placed them at the mercy of persons who think that they can do whatever they want without the fear of consequences. If one has an ounce of ethics and virtue, then it does not take some deep thinking to know that this is unethical and heavily culpable. However, this does not seem to influence the trends going the whole world over.

It was the WHO that brought worldwide attention to this actuality. With the specification of senior maltreatment as a societal problem, more organizations, agencies, and partners have stepped up to the challenge. There is now an organization called the INPEA, which is a network of orgs that seek to raise awareness and proffer ways to change the ongoing trend. There is a World Awareness Day designated for this social problem, slated on June 15.

Therefore, there is a clear cut definition on what counts as thus. According to the World Health Organization, in particular, it is a nonaccidental act, whether single or repeated, that occurs in an imbalance of relationship roles, where there is an overhanging expectation of reliability and trust in one party, who incurs distress or harm. Needless to say, there can be quite many particularities and technicalities where this is involved, and a bit of definition should never come amiss.

Although the themes in this event are pretty much common, the specific actualities are as different as can be. There are actually some people who are not aware that what they are doing is a constituent of abuse. You know how they say that the ignorance of the law does not exempt anyone, and that should really be subscribed to. One will have to rely on his or her own moral compass to determine whether a particular action is right or wrong. However, a bit of knowledge should never come amiss.

And then theres financial abuse and exploitation. It has to do with how the family member, caregiver, or even friend misappropriates the fiscal resources of the elderly. They may dangle it to him or her to use as a means to control and facilitate maltreatment. Even the deliberate failure to pass on financial support in places with such responsibility laws can be indicted.

Mostly, the responsible party is a composite of people that the elder knows, and most probably has a relationship with. For example, it may be a spouse or a similar partner, it may be any other family member, friend, and even neighbor and caretaker. Generally, just about any person that the senior relies on for one reason or another. That is why this kind of happening is often subsumed in more general headings like family or domestic violence.

The boundaries are really over the top here. Theres the legal definition of elderly offense. However, what constitutes as such can still differ by jurisdiction. For example, in some states, abandonment is culpable since it endangers the wellbeing and welfare of the senior. Theres rights abuse, which impinges on the constitutional and civil rights of the older person. Self neglect, though a personal choice, is still considered answerable to the closest filial relation in some states. And then theres the controversial institutional maltreatment, which happens in settings that supposedly provide elderly care and assistance, such as in nursing homes and hospices.

The challenges in this enterprise are uncountable. There are great, many barriers in obtaining the needed statistics. The worse kinds are the abuses that are hidden and committed in privacy. It could also be that the victim himself or herself is unwilling to report and testify. In cases of cognitive decline, like dementia, authorities may be inclined not to take them seriously. The challenges, then again, are great and numerous. However, with societal force, they can be overcome.




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