Policy Analysis - Elderly Abuse

Policy Analysis - Elderly Abuse

Introduction

Abuse of the elderly by family member's dates back to antiquity. Elder abuse is a recognized social problem in the United States. Elder mistreatment is a growing problem that has serious consequences for the health and well-being of elderly individuals. First labeled as "elderly abuse" and originally studied under the umbrella of family violence, maltreatment of the elderly has received more funding and research in recent years.

Historical Review/Assessment

Elderly abuse as a social problem that has emerged a few years ago not because it did not exist before, but because it has always been a hidden issue. WHO estimates that 4% to 6% of people in the world are victims of abuse physical or psychological or neglect or are even exploited financially (Gittler, 2008). The elder abuse is a violation of human rights. Sometimes elderly do not want to be recognized as victims of abuse for fear reprisals, confinement in institutions or simply because they prefer to deny a reality that is unbearable. On the other hand, family members or caregivers will not provide facilities to detect for obvious reasons nor has there been much sensitivity on the part of health professionals and social resources to give a solution to the problem. The National Elder Incidence Study reported that approximately 550,000 older adults' experienced elder mistreatment and that 21 % of the reports were stated to and authenticated by adult protective services (National Center on Elder Abuse, 1998). Neglect was the most frequently reported type of mistreatment; of the 70,942 incident cases of mistreatment, 34,525 (48.7%) were for neglect (National Center on Elder Abuse, 1998). In twenties, the concerned authorities began to address the issue of abuse in the elderly taking into account its impact on the world.

A recent report of the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the basis of studies conducted over the past 20 years provides an overview of abuse of older people in the world (National Center on Elder Abuse, 2001). The report highlights the deliberations and debate at the Second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid in April of this year. It was concluded that the abuse of older people is a widespread phenomenon, not usually made ??public, which results in significant financial and moral costs.

Response to the Problem

In some cases, poor treatment of the elderly may be a manifestation of broader problems: poverty, inequality and other human rights violations. These reasons are usually escorted by little detection mistreatment cases, lack of proper structures and systems to correct such situations, defiecient resources to combat violence against older people or giving them rights to prevent violence against oneself (Tam, 2006). Measures to improve the social, economic and political conditions are fertile ground for abuse of older people and can improve the general living conditions of the elderly to reduce the violations of their rights, and the rights of other groups. Since the 1980s, efforts to promote human rights and protect the rights of older people led to the recognition of ...