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 be...