The elderly are a heterogeneous group of individuals affected by the same ills as the rest of the stages of the life cycle. One of these evils, as old as humanity, is being subjected to violentce and/or abuse by other human beings. Despite being present for thousands of years, it has only become a matter of scientific and political interest since the early 70s in the twentieth century. Violence and abuse are different categories in which to group behaviors that a person persorms and cause harm to another. This work refers only to elder abuse in the family, so the first thing is to define the concept of elder abuse.
Abuse of the elderly is a single or repeated act that causes harm or distress to an older person, or lack of appropriate measures …show more content…
Although there is little information on the extent of abuse in the elderly population, especially in developing countries, it is estimated that 1 in 10 older people has been abused in the past month. The figure is probably underestimated, since only 1 out of 24 reported cases of elder abuse, partly because the victims are often afraid to tell your family and friends or to the authorities. Consequently, it is likely that all prevalence rates are …show more content…
Many older people are isolated by the loss of physical or mental abilities, or loss of family and friends.
Social cultural
Among the sociocultural factors that may affect the risk of abuse of older persons include the following:
♣ Representation of older people as frail, weak and dependent;
♣ Weakening of the links between generations of the same family;
♣ Inheritance and land rights, affecting the distribution of power and material goods in families’ systems: migration of young couples, leaving elderly parents alone in societies where children traditionally have dealt with care for the elderly; the lack of funds to pay for care.
♣ In institutional settings, are more likely to abuse occur if:
♣ Levels of health care, social services and health centers for the elderly are not suitable;
♣ Staff are poorly trained and paid supports a heavy workload;
♣ The physical environment is poor;
♣ Rules favor more institutional interests that residents.
Abuse of the elderly is a single or repeated act that causes harm or distress to an older person, or lack of appropriate measures …show more content…
Although there is little information on the extent of abuse in the elderly population, especially in developing countries, it is estimated that 1 in 10 older people has been abused in the past month. The figure is probably underestimated, since only 1 out of 24 reported cases of elder abuse, partly because the victims are often afraid to tell your family and friends or to the authorities. Consequently, it is likely that all prevalence rates are …show more content…
Many older people are isolated by the loss of physical or mental abilities, or loss of family and friends.
Social cultural
Among the sociocultural factors that may affect the risk of abuse of older persons include the following:
♣ Representation of older people as frail, weak and dependent;
♣ Weakening of the links between generations of the same family;
♣ Inheritance and land rights, affecting the distribution of power and material goods in families’ systems: migration of young couples, leaving elderly parents alone in societies where children traditionally have dealt with care for the elderly; the lack of funds to pay for care.
♣ In institutional settings, are more likely to abuse occur if:
♣ Levels of health care, social services and health centers for the elderly are not suitable;
♣ Staff are poorly trained and paid supports a heavy workload;
♣ The physical environment is poor;
♣ Rules favor more institutional interests that residents.