ISSUES:

Elder Abuse

Does this stuff really take place?

Abuse of any nature is unacceptable. As a society we have only recently began to pay attention to abuse in many different forms, with child abuse and spousal abuse gaining the most attention.  Only occasionally do we hear of elder abuse. When we do, we view it with shock, and regard it with disbelief, contempt and disdain.  We don't seem to understand that there are those who would mistreat and actually harm elderly people, especially on a frequent and perpetual basis.  Why?  Because we would like to believe that such atrocities could not take place, and perhaps we even take a viewpoint of "out of sight, out of mind."  "Let them take care of themselves" might be an uneducated observation.  But elder abuse does exist, and like so many other crimes, much of it simply goes unreported.

Some abuse has happened in institutions.....

Imagine the misery of an older person who is abused day after day and is afraid to report it to anyone because, after all, "I have a roof over my head."   The problem is that the abuse can take many forms, all for which the frail and sick person has no defense. We would all like to think that nursing homes are able to prevent what would seem like abuse to those within, and those who visit them.  But in reality, several forms of abuse occur within care centers of all types, and not just on an occasional personal basis. Although all states have statutes that supposedly protect patients, several instances have occurred where mass abuse of residents has taken place. Unfortunately, these instances are discovered well after the fact, well after the patients have suffered physical and/or emotional abuse, and well after the perpetrators have gone.

Some at home

Remember that we said only about twenty percent of the people needing long-term care receive it in institutionalized settings?  Well, if that number is representative, then about eighty percent are receiving care in what we would consider the safety of their own homes; the homes of family, friends, or relatives; or at least within the community on a part-time basis.  This would seem to imply that these people are far less likely to be subject to abuse, and would indicate that we need not worry about an abuse factor, let alone the quality of care they receive.  But too many cases surface from time-to-time to allow us to be complacent and have secure feelings in this regard. 

Reported cases and real cases..... a hard number to analyze

So let's look at the total picture, whether the older person is institutionalized or receiving at home or community care.  Will either scenario make a difference? Probably not.  We see "numbers" in the paper declaring that violent crime over the last few years is supposedly on the decline. I suspect that in reality, that information is simply a matter of reporting, and how the numbers are gathered. But what about the "numbers" for elder abuse. Do they even exist?  I doubt it. Yes, I've heard the numbers of anywhere from half a million to one million cases per year, but those numbers, even though they include reported cases, cannot begin to approach the real numbers because the real numbers simply go unreported.  I submit that any agency concerned with elder abuse in the United States could only develop theories and conjecture about the number of abuses actually occurring daily versus the number of cases reported.  For instance, who does the abused elder report to?  How, in most cases, could they report abuse? How many millions of cases go unreported out of the fear of retaliation after the authorities have gone?

These suggestions need priority status immediately

These two items alone, increased career type wages, and technologically improved working conditions, will help attract and retain workers who have a genuine predilection for caregiving.  The result would be a greater assurance of quality caregiving and help remove the perception of many that caregiving in many situations is simply "warehousing." In addition, a concerted program to seek out and prosecute Senior fraud and elder abuse (through a single purpose agency) will go a long way toward ensuring that America's retireds and elderly can expect a greater degree of protection against what could become a national disgrace.