Conflict Theory In Health And Social Care

With an in depth understanding of the social problem and public policy debate, it is now appropriate to analyze the social implications of creating acts with stricter regulations and rules to prevent elderly abuse. To gain insight on the social implications of elderly abuse and more restrictions within care facilities, conflict theory may be applied. In addition, social problems are caused when a social institution is failing to meet its purpose or need. For example, in this case there are three primary social institutions involved that have the biggest impact on this social issue, government, family, and economy. Also, other sociological concepts that are important in this analysis include the non-Marxist approach, institutional discrimination,

The Conflict Theory revolves around the basic principle that society is filled with dominant groups, who have more power or are more influential, that use their power to exploit the subordinate groups, those under authority or under control of another. In this scenario, the dominant group includes those in charge of care facilities, workers, families, and the government. The subordinate group includes all of the elderly residents in care facilities around the nation. As of right now, elderly residents do not have a say in the regulations being discussed throughout care facilities and the government. The dominant groups have the opportunity to provide a voice for their residents, and some members within the dominant group have taken advantage of this power and used their power to exploit and abuse residents. For example, one dominant group that has more power is the Minnesota Department of Health. Last year alone, the Minnesota Department of Health received 25,226 allegations of neglect, physical abuse, unexplained serious injuries, and thefts in state-licensed homes for the elderly. Ninety-seven percent were never investigated. That includes 2,025 allegations of physical or emotional abuse by staff, 4,100 reports of altercations between residents and 300 reported drug thefts (Serres, 2017). Since most cases of abuse and neglect leave elderly

In this case, the major social institutions that are failing to meet the needs of all involved are government and economy. One big problem with elderly abuse is that there isn’t a clear definition of what elderly abuse actually is throughout the states. According to previous FBI agent, Johnny Coker, “the various ways elder abuse is defined often causes confusion and a lack of understanding of the forms it can take”(Coker, 1997), With the government not playing the proper role in even creating a clear definition of elderly abuse, there is bound to be failure within the social institution. The economy also plays a large role in elderly abuse, as set forth