Elderly abuse can take a variety of forms including physical, sexual, mental, financial, and neglect. The abuser can be anyone; a caregiver, family member, other patients, or self-inflicted. Recent research states that prevalence of elder abuse in long-term care ranges from 2% to 10% (Connor et al., 2011). According to Shaffer, Williamson, & Dooley (2007), the vulnerability of abuse can be directly related to mental illness, such as dementia, as well as the depression or resentment of caregivers. Kohl, Sanders, & Blumenthal (2012) define the populations at risk as frail elders, those with dementia, and families with a history of violence.
Many people are supported in their homes by people who work along side the health and social care service such as social workers,nursers ,doctor and care givers or they may get support from their family members and friends. An elderly person may choose to stay in their own homes instead of a residential care home while seeking help and support from others,however this can lead to potential opportunities for abuse happening to the person who Is being looked after. When an individual is getting support at home by a carer, the individual being cared for is vulnerable and defenseless and therefor this makes them a target for abuse,another example is abuse by strangers,when an elderly person lives alone they are at risk of people calling at the door and then gaining access to their homes,they may steal items from them or mistreat them or cause intimidation.
Hospice and palliative care can be easily intertwined; they are both concerned with promoting comfort and relieving patient pain. Hospice and palliative care, however, are different in some aspects. Patients who receive hospice care are nearing the end of their lives and there is no effort to cure their disease; the goal is to provide pain relief, a sense of belonging from family and friends if desired, support through the dying stages, and to assure that the person is able to die with dignity. Palliative care is also focused on reducing discomfort; however, the patient receiving care can be at any stage in their disease. Additionally, palliative care can also be administered during a time when a patient is receiving treatment to cure their illness.
It would be nice to be able to choose where we die, how we die, and why we die. Now we can with assisted suicide, but not all agree on the terms that come with this subject. Many agree that aid-in-dying should be available to those suffering from a terminal illness, but is this process of assisted suicide constitutional? Aid-in-Dying should not be practiced in hospitals because it has a negative effect on others and their families.
Long-term care facilities have become home to some individuals due to loss of capacity for independent living which normally caused by some illness that result in them not being able to care for themselves or to perform any daily living activities, such as cooking, eating, bathing, and toileting. Now as an administrator of a long-term care facility, I am responsible to make sure that everything runs smooth; in another word I play most important role in the facility. I am in charge of everything that goes on including patient admissions, facility policies, laws, finances, facility maintenance, residential care and staffing. A number of ethical issues can and will arise in a long-term care facility, such as providing patient care, dealing with
Every decade our population gets older and a whole new generation of seniors comes along with a new set of attitudes and expectations as to what they want from an assisted living facility. And now that people are living longer, there is a much greater need for these facilities. They can provide a refuge to many family members that may become severely burdened by the arduous task of taking care of a loved one who can no longer take care of themselves.
Ageism is discrimination or prejudice based solely on a person’s age, an extreme issue in many elderly clients that reside in sheltered housing communities, as well as quality of life. Bodner, Cohen- Friedel, and Yaretzky conducted a study involving awareness and beliefs about ageism and quality of life in sheltered housing versus those feelings in seniors who live outside such an environment. It was anticipated that that seniors within sheltered housing would have elevated agist attitudes. To test this hypothesis, they took a sample of one hundred twenty six volunteers between the ages of sixty four and ninety four. The contributors completed a survey called the Fraboni scale of ageism, and a Quality of Life (QoL) Inventory. Bodner, Cohen-
Nurses in Complex Continuing Care Encountering Ethical Dilemmas of Autonomy and Wellbeing When Patient with Dementia Wants to go Home
“The Age of Dignity” is written by Al-Jen Poo, who is a director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) and co-director of the Caring across Generations campaign. The author discusses challenges faced by the elderly in society due to lack of supporting culture. She mentions, “By 2035, 11.5 million Americans will be over the age of eighty-five, more than double today’s 5 million, living longer than ever before.” It is necessary to value the care of old people so that people can age with dignity and security. To support the care of older adults, a culture needs to be built where elderly are respected in the society. The author provides various solutions to transform elderly care such as long-term care insurance and financial incentives to care providers.
Late Adulthood is the stage of the human life cycle where an individual nears the end of their life. The life expectancy in the United States has slowly increased over the years therefore allowed many to further analyze the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development during late adulthood. The stage of late adulthood has been emphasized by ageism and the stereotypical "old" person but, will be further educated by the normative development of the life cycle of late adulthood. For the “old” experience dramatic changes in their development as they face loss, death, and illness.
Hawes, Catherine. “Elder Abuse in Residential Long-Term Care Settings: What is Known and What Information is Needed?” Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, Accessed 26 Feb.
As working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in a long term care rehabilitation facility, I encounter many elderly patients who are admitted for fall related injuries. The majority of patients are recovering from total knee and hip replacements as a result from falling at home or elsewhere. Fuller states, “Falls are the leading cause of injury related visits to emergency departments in the United States and the primary etiology of accidental deaths in persons over the age of 65 years…More than 90 percent of hip fractures occur as a result of falls, with most of these fractures occurring in persons of over 70 years of age” (Fuller, 2000, para.1).
The article “Administration on Aging (AoA).” What Is Elder Abuse? Explain how elderly patients are abused by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult and approximetley thousands of older individuals are being abused, neglected, and exploited.
For far too long the elderly have been exposed to ill treatment caused by physical abuse, mental abuse, and neglect. Many of Newark’s nursing homes are understaffed, which contributes to the neglect the elders face that leads to depression and later drug addiction. By realizing the importance of the inclusion of elders in society one will come to understand that the elders are a source of wisdom and provide the gateway to gaining knowledge of the past. In Jorunn Drageset’s article, he discusses the factors that contribute to the social isolation of the elders within nursing homes. The article by authors Claudia Cooper, Amber Selwood, and Gill Livingston, discuss the types of abuse elders are exposed to in nursing homes along with the need
Elder abuse can be referred to as a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person. Elderly people often get abuse by people who should be their protector and carer, in most circumstances many elderly adults are abused in their own homes, in relatives’ homes, and even in facilities responsible for their care. If you suspect that an elderly person is at risk from a neglectful or overwhelmed caregiver, or being preyed upon financially, it’s important to speak up. Learning about the warning signs of elder abuse, what the risk factors are, and how you can prevent and report the problem it’s very vital in protecting the elderly from abuse, some of these abuse are;