Essay On Long Term Care Abuse

Every day there are many people around the world, specifically in Canada that undergo abuse whether it be emotional, physical, sexual or more. It is ongoing daily without people even realizing it happening before their eyes. It isn’t only child abuse or spousal abuse, but a more recent discovery of abuse is among the elderly. One of the most startling facts is that the horrible events of abuse seem to be happening under the eyes of caregivers in long term care facilities. This is a problem especially with the amount of elders around us. “It has been projected that over half a million Canadians will require long- term care by 2031” (McDonald, 2011, p.6). The estimated number is too much people that could be at risk. This issue of abuse among elders enrolled in long term care facilities is a major Canadian health care issue that needs to be resolved. Abuse to the members of the community that need the most care is an issue that has not been frequently mentioned but needs attention. Many family members of the elderly themselves, doctors and researchers …show more content…
Doctors should be well aware of abuse of elderly, how to detect the abuse, as well as educate the elderly on the rights and wrongs while being treated in a nursing home or long-term care facility. If doctors explain the concepts of abuse to the elderly, then it is more likely they will speak out about it when possible. A journal article explains “we suggest that the physician present his or her concerns about abuse to the patient, educate the patient about elder abuse and the tendency for it to increase in frequency and severity” (Wang, Brisbin, Loo & Straus, 2015). The doctor taking this step will help the elder understand that what is being done is wrong. It is also said that residence of homes should, if not already, be having very frequent doctor examinations to detect any signs of abuse from a staff member of the