I was recently contacted by a lady named Amber who made me aware of the elder abuse taking place in nursing homes. I was appalled and horrified that these things are actually happening. She asked if we would accept an article that she would write for us. I certainly agree that the word should be spread as much as possible. Below is the article that was submitted and there is a link at the bottom where you can find more information.

Elder Abuse: Why We Need to Act
By: Amber Paley

Based on various small publications and studies, it is apparent that elder abuse is entirely too common in the U.S. It is difficult to understand just how wide-spread the problem is, however, because it is a one that goes unreported the majority of the time. Working with what we can know, the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) makes the following estimates about the prevalence of elder abuse based on sample studies:

*“Between 1 and 2 million Americans age 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care or protection.”

*“Estimates of the frequency of elder abuse range from 2% to 10% based on various sampling, survey methods, and case definitions.”

*“Data on elder abuse in domestic settings suggest that 1 in 14 incidents, excluding incidents of self-neglect, come to the attention of authorities.”

*“Current estimates put the overall reporting of financial exploitation at only 1 in 25 cases, suggesting that there may be at least 5 million financial abuse victims each year.”

*“It is estimated that for every one case of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect reported to authorities, about five more go unreported.”

With age, it is inevitable that people will develop either mental or physical health issues that will make it difficult or impossible to care for themselves. Thus, the elderly have no choice but to depend on us to care for them when that time comes. This dependence coupled with abuse of the vulnerable necessitates our attention and action.

There are several important steps we can take to help halt elder abuse. The first is to learn how to recognize the signs of elder abuse. There are five common types of abuse that the elderly are subjected to. Below are the symptoms of each according to the NCEA:

Physical Abuse
“Slap marks, unexplained bruises, most pressure marks, and certain types of burns or blisters, such as cigarette burns.”

Neglect
“Pressure ulcers, filth, lack of medical care, malnutrition or dehydration.”

Emotional Abuse
“Withdrawal from normal activities, unexplained changes in alertness, or other unusual behavioral changes.”

Sexual Abuse
“Bruises around the breasts or genital area and unexplained sexually transmitted diseases.”

Financial Abuse/Exploitation
“Sudden change in finances and accounts, altered wills and trusts, unusual bank withdrawals, checks written as “loans” or “gifts,” and loss of property.”

A second step we can take to end elder abuse is to report any and all instances of it. The number of elder abuse cases that go unreported is unacceptable. We cannot make a change to the current system if realizing the prevalence of the problem does not happen. The abusers must be held accountable for their actions, legal action must be taken to gain media attention and political action, and those abused must receive justice. We must report ALL instances of abuse, no matter what the degree of abuse, in order to provoke widespread action.

A third step we can take to end elder abuse is to encourage research and public education. We can do this by getting involved in elder abuse education and action groups, like:

Elder Justice Now;

The National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse;

Elder Justice Coalition.

These groups work to educate the public and encourage people to take action; they also work to promote political action. By supporting them, whether through volunteering, monetary donation, or word of mouth, you are helping pave the way to prevent elder abuse.

Amber Paley is a guest post and article writer bringing to us information on elder abuse and how we should act to end it.
Amber spends much of her professional life writing about abuse in nursing homes.