By Eric Majahalati
Young People's Press
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Photo by Richelle Forsey |
For many, growing older is a time in life for stopping to smell the roses. It is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of one's life and to take on new, gentler pursuits.
But for a small, but significant number of elderly citizens in Canada, it is a time of vulnerability, neglect and even abuse. Approximately 4 per cent of Canadians over the age of 65, or 100,000 persons, have been affected by abuse or neglect. For a number of reasons, many of these occurrences are not reported. While many elders fear retaliation by the abusers, sometimes the reasons are more complex. If the abuse is being perpetrated by a family member, some elders will keep silent out of respect or because they are embarrassed.
Elder abuse is any deliberate action or lack of action which causes harm to an elderly person. In most cases, abuse is perpetrated by persons in a position of trust. Any elderly person can become a victim of abuse or neglect, regardless of gender, income, cultural or ethnic background or health condition. Abuse can seriously affect a person's sense of identity, their status and their dignity.
Victims don't always realize that they can get help, believing that the police don't care or can't step in. In some cases, victims of abuse or neglect are not physically or mentally well enough to report their abuser. There are also those who live with their families who fear being placed in a nursing home if they step forward, which could result in a lose of contact with other family members.
Not all occurrences are physical or psychological. In fact, the elderly are often easy targets for con artists and extortionists. A Manitoba study showed that financial abuse made up 40 per cent of all reported cases and was the most common form of elder abuse.
Thirty-eight per cent of the reported cases were forms of mental cruelty, including humiliation, harassment, intimidation and social isolation. Physical abuse made up twenty-two per cent of the cases reported. This includes physical assault, deliberate exposure to severe weather, improper use of medication or unnecessary physical restraint.
It is a common belief that the abuse of the elderly mainly takes place in "old age homes." However, more often than not, the abuser is a member of the victim's family, either the spouse or their children. Only 25% of reported abuse cases were attributed to unrelated caregivers.
There are a number of contributing factors as to why elder abuse takes place. Previous abuse within the family can be one. A child may have been abused while growing up, and having learned this behaviour, they now carry it on, whether unwittingly or as an act of revenge. Along similar lines, a spouse may have been abused during the relationship and now with the abuser in a position of helplessness, the victim becomes the abuser.
The stressassociated with the heavy dependence upon the caregiver is also a factor. Dependence can strain a person's financial, as well as psychological resources. With the exception of health care professionals, most people know little about aging and the needs of the elderly.
Another factor to look at is the negative attitude that some people have of the elderly. They look at an older person as unattractive, with nothing to offer society anymore; more of a burden and an inconvenience. The more the elderly are looked at as less than equal, the easier it is to victimize them.
It is important to know the signs of abuse, given that the abused person will often be reluctant to speak out about it, even to those they trust. Some warning signs are inadequate physical care (poor hygiene, torn or dirty clothes, malnourishment), injuries which aren't adequately explained, signs of stress or fear while in the presence of specific people and drastic differences between the individual's standard of living and their finances.
If there is someone you know that may be abused, let them know that it is a crime and refer them to the police or social services in their area. Empowerment is the first step towards stopping the abuse. The abused individual needs to be helped to realize they are not helpless.
It is also important to inform the caregiver in situations of abuse that what they are doing is not acceptable and, in most cases, a criminal act.
In general, however, we as a society must work to ensure that the elderly are not left in isolation to endure old age almost like a prison sentence. The elderly have a lot to contribute, whether as grandparents, volunteers or simply as kind folks with stories to tell and love to share.
No one deserves to be abused, and the elderly are no exception.
Eric Majalahti, 23, is from Iroquois Falls, Ontario.
