USA: Abuse of the Elderly Happens All too often

SOMERSET, Pa (Daily American), June 4, 2008: It’s not a pleasant thought, but abuse of the elderly happens all too often. The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) in Washington, D.C., estimates that between 1 and 2 million Americans age 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depend for care and protection. Abuse may occur in the person’s home or an institutional setting. The NCEA defines seven types of elder abuse: * Physical abuse - Use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment. * Sexual abuse - Non-consensual sexual contact of any kind. * Emotional abuse - Infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or non-verbal acts. * Financial/material exploitation - Illegal or improper use of an elder’s funds, property, or assets. * Neglect - Refusal, or failure, to fulfill any part of a person’s obligations or duties to an elderly person. * Abandonment - Desertion of an elderly person by an individual who has physical custody of the elder or by a person who has assumed responsibility for providing care to the elder. * Self-neglect - Behaviors of an elderly person that threaten his or her health and safety. For more indepth descriptions of these abuses as well as signs and symptoms, check out these websites: * National Center on Elder Abuse: http://www.ncea.aoa.gov, www.ncea.aoa.gov Pennsylvania Department of Aging http://www.aging.state.pa.us,www.aging.state.pa.us * Santa Monica Rotary Club and the Center for Healthy Aging: http://www.helpguide.org, www.helpguide.org * Pennsylvania law provides that older adults who lack the capacity to protect themselves and are at imminent risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment shall have access to services to protect their health, safety, and assets. Locally, these protective services are provided through the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) INTERNET RESOURCES FOR CAREGIVERS * National Family Caregivers Association: www.thefamilycaregiver.org * National Alliance for Caregiving: www.caregiving.org * American Association of Retired Persons: www.aarp.org Copyright © 2003-2008