Elderly Abuse of Older Adults with Dementia

Elderly Abuse of Older Adults with Dementia
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Elderly Abuse of Older Adults with Dementia
Introduction
Elderly abuse is an issue of social, health, and criminal concern in the healthcare industry. Lachs, & Pillemer, 2004 define elder abuse as single or repeated improper acts or inappropriate acts from trusted members that pose a great risk to an older adult. Elder abuse includes physical, sexual, psychological violation, financial exploitation, and caregiver neglect. Recent data from the Adult Protective Services Agencies shows an unprecedented rise in elderly abuse cases over the last decade (Mosqueda et al., 2016). According to WHO, 1 in 6people aged between 60-65 years have been victims of elder abuse in the past year. Research efforts from social workers and public health officials associate the increasing trend in elder Abuse to high morbidity and mortality, especially among the most vulnerable populations. Existing literature suggests that diverse risk factors are contributing to abuse. According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, disability is the leading cause of elderly abuse (Baker, 2007).
Adults beyond the age of 60 years suffering from long-term illnesses such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism are incapable of taking care of themselves, making them targets to abusive family and community members. In addition, senior citizens with mental incapacities are susceptible to abuse. Aging is associated with the decline in cognitive ability for many people. Depending on the cognitive severity, mental illnesses such as dementia can make adults unable to comprehend and communicate the Abuse (LoGiudice, & Watson, 2014). Most of these individuals are subject to financial, sexual, and physical abuse, as evident in the case of 90-year-old Aktar Bagga. Physical abuse is the most prevalent form of abuse. It involves use shoving or striking a person. With aging and the massive decline of bone strength and muscle, older adults are at a greater risk of consequences of physical abuse such as fractures and injuries that may take a relatively long time to heal (Collins, 2006). With the elderly population growing every year, there is a need to implement best practice strategies to address abuse prevention, detection, treatment, and remediation of older adults with dementia.
Literature Review
Micro issues
According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, more than 115 primary caregivers reported some form of abuse against adults with dementia (Cooper et al., 2009). Comparably Wiglesworth et al. found that 47.3% of the adults with dementia were subjected to some abuse. 88.5% of the abuse victims were victims of psychological abuse, 19.7% were physically violated, and 29.5% experienced neglect. Findings from this research show a high probability that these forms of abuse occur more than once. It is also evident that many elderly adults with dementia experienced multiple forms of abuse simultaneously, as evident in the case of Aktar Bagga. In this light, these adults are at a greater risk of mortality, chronic diseases from abuse, and self-neglect due to cognitive mental impairments. Existing research shows a great correlation between psychological abuse and greater levels of cognitive impairment (Cooney, Howard, & Lawlor, 2006).
On the other hand, physical abuse of an older adult with dementia causes a greater risk of physical disability, the leading cause of social and economic burden in society. Dong et al., 2014, define financial exploitation as acquiring financial, valuable items of an older adult's finances through coercion or forgery to advance their selfish interest. On average, the US's direct cost of financial exploitation added up to $2.9billion in 2009, a 12% rise from 2008 (Roberto & Teaster, 2011). With aging, physical disability may manifest differently, thus contributing to a great decline in cognitive ability. Elderly adults with dementia are highly susceptible to older age mistreatment. Dementia is ranked as the twentieth-leading cause of the global disease burden. According to Lopez (2006), dementia is a significant contributor to the global disease burden. With more baby boomers hitting the 60 years threshold, the number of dementia cases is expected to skyrocket from 35.6million in 2010 to 115.4 million by 2050. Dementia imposes a more significant social and economic, psychological, physical, and financial impact on older adults, caregivers, and family members.
Mezzo Issues
Although abusive behavior toward adults with dementia is most prevalent in the community, it is also a critical issue in long-term care facilities. However, it is underreported because of the diverse biological, pathological, ethnic, and cultural factors such as high dependence, which obscures detection of abuse in dementia patients. On the other hand, abuse and dementia impose more significant cognitive impairments that exhibit similar signs and symptoms, such as increased dependence. As a result, elderly adults are hesitant to communicate the abuse for fear of neglect and retaliation.
Drawing insights from the Aktar Bagga case research shows that ethical issues inhibit research on elder abuse, which simultaneously affects quality care. Older dementia patients are incapable of consenting to treatment and care plans. In addition, cultural perceptions and attitudes towards dementia impede the prevention and treatment of elderly abuse. For example, although indigenous communities such as Hindu Indians believe older adults with mental illnesses such as dementia should be taken care of by the eldest child in the family. Thus efforts to detect some form of abuse in the early stages of dementia may be futile. Also, the method of reporting may be flawed for fear of alienation to long-term care facilities. Despite this research base for elder abuse prevention, detection, remediation and treatment are steadily growing.
Social agencies and organizations have partnered with caregivers and clinicians to eradicate the In 2013, XinQiDong, the associate director of the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, in collaboration with social workers and public health officials across the world to address the prevention of elderly abuse. Drawing from the existing literature, the experts emphasized the need to differentiate the stages of cognitive dysfunction when assessing dementia patients (Dong, Chen, & Simon, 2014). This emphasis highlights the growing need to thoroughly screen the cognitive severity of hospitalized elder patients with dementia to detect elder abuse early. It also offers a better understanding of the diverse ways for cognitive impairments manifesting in dementia patients.
Macro Issues
Lee, & Kolomer, 2005, implemented a multifaceted approach to discuss the social, economic, and political factors contributing to elder abuse. This study emphasized the retrospective analysis of the social, economic environment of the older adults with dementia and characteristics of their caregivers and determinants of abuse. Drawing insights from a diverse range of individuals, community groups, professionals, service providers, and their representatives, Lee & Kolomer, 2005 found that most aging populations do not have access to healthy, equitable, and sustainable care. Statistics show that there is a high likelihood that older adults living in rural areas with no access to aged care services are prone to Abuse (Bobitt, Carter, & Kuhne, 2018; Carney, 2020). ). This is primarily because the available agencies and organizations are overwhelmed. As a result, they opt for care from family members with no training to care for the elderly hence become stressed by caregiving. There is also a growing concern about the high rate of drug abuse and promiscuous sexual behavior among the young, who are often trusted to take care of the elderly in the community (Burgess & Phillips, 2006). This huge reliance on alcohol can trigger dysfunctional behavior, which leads to elder mistreatment.
On the other hand, teachers emphasized promoting mental health awareness and treatment to assess family caregivers' capacity to care for the elderly. Health care officials observed the need to encourage lifestyle and chronic diseases among the youth to reduce high prevalence at an older age. According to the WHO, lifestyle diseases such as ischaemic h...