"Abuse of the elderly is a widespread phenomenon that is rarely made public"
An elderly man, perhaps "very old" vulnerable and dependent on others to meet their most basic needs, discovers that someone robbed his bank account, possibly someone on whom it depends.
An elderly woman, semi-invalid, who lives in a nursing home does not receive physical assistance from staff and is left to suffer without supervision from severe pain that no one even knows about resulting in bed sores that if left untreated, can cause death.
An elderly person who is under the care of his family, suffers a moral humiliation, but is powerless to protect himself, being in a dependent position. Abuse of older people - physically, sexually and morally - and their financial exploitation usually go unnoticed and unreported, with only the most serious cases that require action.
Increasing the amount of information about cases like those described above for the first time made it necessary to include the issue of "abuse of the elderly" in the agenda.
In a recent report based on studies conducted over the past 27 years, an overview of abuse of elderly people throughout the world. The report, contributed to the discussions and negotiations on the World Assembly Of The Aging, it is concluded that the abuse of older people is a widespread phenomenon, not usually made public, which entails significant financial and moral costs.
What is the extent of abuse?
So far, extensive research on the facts of abuse of older people carried out for developed countries, and the available data are limited. However, available information suggests that older people - both women and men - are victims of abuse and that such an attitude towards older people surprisingly common in both developed and developing countries. Surveys based throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, show that the proportion of older people reported that they had been abused or left without care, ranging from 2 to 9 percent.
In Canada, the most common form of abuse was the lack of attention, 57 percent of all reported cases. Twelve percent were cases of physical abuse, and 14 percent of the observed financial exploitation.
In the United States between 1946 and 1997, the National Center for mistreatment of older people registered a 151 percent increase in the number of cases of abuse reported by the state security service. In just one year, 39 percent of nurses said they had witnessed physical violence, 12 percent have been found to have committed at least one act of physical violence, 80 percent had witnessed cases of psychological abuse, 40 percent of the abused patient.
In developing countries, home to the largest number of elderly people in the world mostly poor have not been any studies or systematic collection of statistical data. But even in this case, there is ample evidence, based on reports of crimes, and journalistic reports, information, social services and some small studies that suggest widespread abuse of older people physically, morally and financially.
In Canada, produced by the sample, which included 2,500 older people found that 7 percent had been physically abused. In another small sample of 10 people aged 68 and older living in urban areas, 25 percent of those surveyed said they had not turned the slightest attention in their families.
In Argentina, 41 percent of the sample living in elderly people reported that they had been mistreated, and is most often expressed in psychological terms.
In India, a conducted survey found that 33 percent of reported cases of abuse were psychological, physical or financial. The remaining 66 percent of cases were associated with the so-called "social bad attitude" when the victim believed that they were discriminated against by society because of their age.
Different forms of abuse
Abuse is expressed in many different ways. It can be physical, and cause pain or cause bodily harm.
It may be moral or psychological, such as verbal abuse, causing a feeling of humiliation and or fear. Or it could be financial, as a trusted older person may be trustee of improper use of funds or property of an old man, or assign them to themselves.
The abuses committed in the family as well. This may be a dismissive attitude, expressed, for example, the reluctance to provide the attention, to ensure adequate food, clean clothes, safe and convenient place at home, good health care, personal hygiene and the possibility of social intercourse. Sexual abuse on the part of carer expressed in brutal rape or unworthy assaults and sexual harassment. Abuse by spouse (s) can take many forms, such as physical, mental or sexual, financial exploitation or neglect, and this may continue throughout the family life, or at a later time.
Such abuse is particularly traumatic because the victim of abuse is dependent upon the person committing the abuse. The elderly also suffer from the loss of respect for themselves by family members, which could result in disrespectful, insulting, contemptuous, or isolation.
Violence by the society or the family occurs when the crumbling relationship between the old man and his / her family. It is sad, but the perpetrators of violence and abuse against the elderly are most often family members, friends or acquaintances.
Older people themselves can cause self-harm as a result of neglect.
Sometimes there are abuses on the basis of cultural traditions, for example, when an elderly person - usually a woman is blamed for ills or declare disasters in the community, such as drought, flooding, spread of disease or death. Reported cases, when a woman ostracized, tortured, maimed and even killed, if she could not leave the community.
The special needs of the elderly are rarely taken into account in planning humanitarian assistance.
In refugee camps, elderly people cannot fend for themselves in the distribution of food or get medical care.
Violence on the basis of HIV / AIDS takes place in the countries affected by the epidemic, where old women usually bear the burden of responsibility, caring for dying relatives and orphaned children. The stigma of HIV / AIDS usually leads to the isolation of families affected by this disease.
The consequences and costs of abuse
Despite the lack of extensive documentation, evaluation of financial and human costs associated with the abuse of older people is significant. Direct costs of abuse are many and vary.
It may be costs associated with prevention and intervention, including the provision of services, criminal procedure, care in health care and prevention of abuse, educational and research programs.
Indirect and human losses associated with the abuse of older people, reflected in the reduction of productivity, deterioration of quality of life, moral damage and suffering, mistrust, loss of self-esteem, disability and premature death. The mistreatment of elderly people raises a number of long-term physical and psychological health problems, including permanent physical disorders, drug and alcohol dependency, weakened immune system, chronic disorders associated with food intake and malnutrition, self-harm and indifference, depression, fear and constant anxiety, suicide, and death.
The global response to the problem: the protection of the rights of older people
In some cases, mistreatment of the elderly may be a manifestation of broader problems: poverty, inequality in the society and other human rights violations. These reasons are often accompanied by low levels of detection of abuse, lack of formal structures and mechanisms to remedy such situations, as well as a lack of resources to combat violence against older people or giving them rights to prevent violence against them. Measures to improve the social, economic and political conditions that are fertile ground for abuse of the elderly can improve the general living conditions of the elderly and reduce the extent of violations of their rights and the rights of other groups. Since the 1980s, efforts to promote human rights and the protection of the rights of the elderly has led to the recognition of the problem of abuse of older people as a human rights issue. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out the fundamental rights of all people in the civil, political, social, economic and cultural fields.
Awareness, education and outreach
Solving the problem of abuse of the elderly has focused on raising awareness and understanding of this phenomenon. These efforts are rarely reported in the media, given the serious acts of abuse and neglect cases are inadmissible. The media plays a vital role in drawing public attention and stimulating the relevant policies in the fight against this evil.
Educational programs designed to ensure that participants have at their disposal, shall assess and identify cases of abuse and neglect to take effective measures designed to lawyers, politicians, law enforcement officials, social workers and other professionals.
In order to assist them they have developed materials, including test methods for the determination of misleading and likely to mislead situations, protocols for referral of cases for examination and trial, as well as training packages for nursing staff. For this category proved to be useful guides to help you assess the risk of abuse and identify community resources for assistance.
Several countries have established national telephone helplines, which you can gain knowledge of abuse against the elderly and the available tools and information about the aid agencies.
In some countries, non-governmental organizations also conduct information and education programs. Community development programs that address the needs and problems of care of elderly people, also contribute to increasing understanding and knowledge of the abuse.
The legislation, protection mechanisms and legal intervention
In some countries, a growing awareness of abuse of older people and changing social policy led to the introduction of new legislation are considered abuse of the elderly as a crime, and increasing penalties for certain crimes against older people. In some cases, decisions are taken and policies to complement state laws and creating a system of compulsory execution. In other countries, legislation designed specifically to protect the elderly against abuse is either too limited or completely absent.
Studies included key groups of older people in each country and the workers of primary health care, in order to identify different forms of abuse of elder people on the testimony of elder people themselves and medical staff. Emphasis was placed on staff members, because these workers are the first to identify abuse of the elderly. Increased knowledge by primary health care in this area is a critical step in preventing abuse of older people and to take action.
Older people distinguish three broad categories of abuse:
• Neglect and isolation from society;
• Violations of human, legal and medical rights;
• Loss of choice, decisions, status, finances and respect;
Recommendations
• Development of methods for testing and evaluation for use by primary health care providers;
• The development of the collection of materials on the problems of abuse of older people for the study of primary health care providers;
• Development and dissemination of research methodology for research in the field of abuse of older persons;
• Development of minimum data set on violence and the elderly;
• Ensuring the dissemination of information in scientific journals on the findings of scientific research;
• Development of an international code of good practice;
• Mobilization of civil society by increasing awareness of the widespread epidemic of abuse in older people.
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