Serving your community (part II)

Elderly Abuse

The problem that my proposal will address is how most of our elderly adults are in retirement homes or are being taken care of at home and could be or are secretly abused by their care takers.

Anyone can be affected by abuse of their care takers but elderly are more prone to this abuse like infants because they can't defend themselves.

Elder abuse, like other types of domestic violence, is extremely complex. Generally a combination of psychological, social, and economic factors, along with the mental and physical conditions of the victim and the perpetrator, contribute to the occurrence of elder maltreatment.

• Physical Abuse—Inflicting, or threatening to inflict, physical pain or injury on a vulnerable elder, or depriving them of a basic need.
• Emotional Abuse—Inflicting mental pain, anguish, or distress on an elder person through verbal or nonverbal acts.
• Sexual Abuse—Non-consensual sexual contact of any kind, coercing an elder to witness sexual behaviors.
• Exploitation—Illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, property, or assets of a vulnerable elder.
• Neglect—Refusal or failure by those responsible to provide food, shelter, health care or protection for a vulnerable elder.
• Abandonment—The desertion of a vulnerable elder by anyone who has assumed the responsibility for care or custody of that person.

Many people who abuse the elderly are close family members and are dealing with so much stress and sometimes do things to get rid of some of the anger or just don't do anything at all which is neglect. People who have had an abusive life tend to abuse others.

This is an ongoing battle that is worldwide. Of course it has be addresses all over the world but still seems to happen, it's like racism it will never go away but we can voice it out and let it be know and also provide help for families who have a hard time taking care of their grandparents or parents and provide some helpful solutions. 

I believe that everyone in my community feels that this is very important. It can happen to anyone and maybe even one of us in the future. 

There are some possible solutions that can help better the issue:

1. If they see abuse or neglect repot it immediately.

2. Volunteer at old people homes and give joy to those who don't have much of it.

3. Voice out that the issue is here and real.

4. Join or make a group to advocate the issue and gather volunteers to help out the communities elderly homes.

Do we have a security system that catches these elderly abuses on the act at retirement homes?

Are people educated on this issue and how?

There are lots of websites that have information on this issue and can lead you to groups that help try to spread the word and volunteer to help the retirement homes.