Senior Abuse by Family and Caregivers

It is difficult to understand why this topic is necessary to discuss and why it happens to our senior population.

It is possible that stressful situations could initiate abusive behaviour by family or other caregivers.  It is also possible that it is a learned behaviour – abusers who model violence after seeing it or experiencing it themselves.

The abuse of the elderly could reflect the way society views them

-as no longer useful members of society

-no longer contributing financially or emotionally to their community or family

-no longer useful therefore no longer important

-possible decline in emotional or physical health, frailty

Neglect of seniors can take many forms.  It can be an active or passive, intentional or unintentional, a failing to meet the needs of seniors.

These needs include food, housing, medications, clothing, physical aids, inadequate personal care or hygiene, inadequate supervision or safety precautions.  It can also involve withholding medications, services, even over medicating.

Neglect can also be allowing seniors to live in unsanitary or poorly heated conditions, denial of basic rights or necessary services.

Family or Caregiver abuse can occur at home or institutions.  It can include spouses, children, other relatives, caregivers or persons in a position of power or trust.

The senior can be limited in their ability to understand or recognize the abuse or even to seek help because of it, due to the physical, psychological, social or economic consequences of doing so.  Fear of verbal or physical threats from family members, caregivers or persons who have legal control over them can keep the senior from reaching out for help or advice.

If you look at a report from Statistics Canada done in 1999 it shows that over 1/4 of senior victims of violent crime had been victimized by family members.  With reports like this, it is easy to understand that seniors are victims of abuse and by those who are in their immediate family circle.  It is also easy to see that seniors who depend on family or caregivers to support them either in their home or in a facility can sometimes be neglected or abused.

Sometimes it is just the lack of care or neglect that is evident in a situation.  Just the fact that a family member is placed in a facility, some families tend to wash their hands of the situation and don’t seem to ever think again about the possibility that their elderly family member might be needing clothing, personal hygiene items, personal care items etc.  As listed above, it is the neglect of supplying basic needs like clothing, personal items, medications and proper mobility items like cane, walker, wheel chair that is also abuse.

Seniors living independently and who fail to provide basic needs for themselves are also guilty of self-neglect.

By talking about the problems and identifying them, only then can we make positive change and reduce the number of occurrences of abuse and neglect in our senior population.