Elder Abuse In Nursing Homes

875 Words4 Pages

Cristianne Garcia
Medical Assistant Student
Professor Ms. Merced
Central Career School
Course: English
(Research Paper)
26 October 2015. Abuse in Nursing Homes

The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study, conducted by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) at the American Public Human Services Association for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, examined the prevalence of elder abuse in the United States, found it in the 2010 census that approximately 55% adult men and 65% adult women experienced physical abuse by any person after becoming disabled. The elder who experienced abuse, even modest abuse, had 300% higher risk of death when compared …show more content…

Here some different types of abuse: Physical Abuse, Financial or Material Exploitation, Abandonment, Psychological or Emotional Abuse, Neglect, Self-Neglect and Sexual Abuse. NCEA suggests that abuse intensifies health conditions that make it difficult for one to have the ability to make decisions. Examples of this include lack of sleep, lack of food, lack of hygiene, dehydration, a lot of improper medication or medical care, mental health issues, bed restrictions. “Mental and emotional problems may be both a cause and an effect of elder abuse. It would be hardly surprising if people living with abuse, some of which may be long term, displayed psychological effects”. When speaking of financial exploitation, state that much research suggests that the negative effects of this type of abuse on elders may be just as serious, if not more serious, than the detrimental effects of physical abuse on an older adult. When speaking of all types of elder abuse, there is a higher mortality risk for elders who have been abused when compared to their peers who have not been abused.

However, Victims of elder abuse frequently, suffer in silence, due to cultural factors and ageism that permeate elder abuse. Note that in the United States, an estimated five cases go unreported for every one case that actually is reported, indicating that those five cases that go unreported may be victims who are suffering in silence. This may be due to our individualistic society which states we must be responsible for ourselves. Thus, it is important to recognize this as a factor as to why some victims of elder abuse do not report the