A change in the way you deal with other people

Elder Maltreatment
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(March, 2013)
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Elder Maltreatment
Abuse of the elderly has become a major issue in many countries. This is because of the high rates of abuse of elderly people. It is difficulty for people to understand how the elderly people are being abused without knowing the cause, effects and solution. This makes it hard to help the elderly people. Most elderly people are harmed either physically or emotionally by the care giver or any other person. The elderly people are also exploited financially. One has to understand the causes, effects and solutions of elderly abuse so as to understand what elderly abuse is.
Elderly people are unable to carry out activities and only depend on relatives, caregivers or any other person (Quinn & Tomita, 1997). Many countries have established facilities to care for the elderly people. Majority of the elderly people are not taken to caring facilities, but receive care from home. They are cared for by relatives in their homes. Though care givers and relatives help in caring for elderly people, they also abuse them. Elderly abuse has become a major issue in many countries like United States. A large number of elderly people are being abused in United States. They are either abused by the care givers, family members or any other person. Most people are unable to prevent elder abuse because they do not know the causes of elder abuse, effects and solutions. Also, they do not know how elder abuse takes place (Quinn & Tomita, 1997).
Elderly abuse can take place in different places. It can take place in the elder’s homes and relatives homes. Also, it can take place in the facilities the elder person is being care. Elder abuse is common in family setting than institutional setting. This is because most people in the family seed elder people as a burden. This leads to the elderly people being treated properly. The family members fail to provide essential services to the elderly people. For instance, family members may fail to assist the elderly people in washing, dressing or walking. They may also harm the elderly person physically or emotionally. Family members cause depression among elderly people. This interferes with the health of elderly people and with their emotions (Quinn &Tomita, 1997).Elderly people are abused in the institutions they are being cared. This results from poor relationship between the care giver and the elderly person. Some of the care givers may prey on finances of the elderly person (Quinn & Tomita, 1997).
There are different types of elderly abuse. That is physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Other forms of abuse include neglect and finical exploitation. Physical abuse occurs when a person uses force to harm the elderly person. This may result to pain; injury or it may cause impairment to the elderly person (Quinn & Tomita, 1997). Emotional abuse occurs when a person speaks ill about any an elderly person or treats the elderly person badly. It involves an action that can cause emotional pain or distress to the elderly person. There are two types of emotional abuse. That is verbal and non verbal abuse. Verbal abuse includes yelling or threatening an elderly person. Also, ridiculing an elderly person and humiliating him or her is considered part of verbal abuse. Most care givers and family members ignore elderly people because they see caring for them to be a burden. Elderly people can be abused emotionally by being isolated from friends and family members. Elderly people can be abused sexually through physical contact without the informing the person or through pornographic materials (Garcia & Kosberg, 1995).
Care givers neglect elderly people and also abandon them. For instance, a care giver may neglect the elderly person by failing to fulfill his or her duties. Most elderly people have reporte...