Movie Review: The Documentary Five Cases Of Elder Abuse

The documentary five cases of elder abuse showed the cases of five elderly who were being abused by their family member. Although the elderly can be abused in a facility, nursing home, the film choose to focus on those victims that were abused by their partner, sons, and daughters. It followed the story of Norman, Dorothy, Pat, Lucille, and Mary as they rehash their story of abuse on video. Norman was severely beaten by his two sons, and had to work because they took his security money. Norman also confessed about how he was not allowed to leave the house, because his family was afraid he wouldn’t come back. In the other hand, Pat who was married for eighty-five years was abused by her husband. Pat eventually had to go to a sheltered for battered …show more content…
This was also proven accurate by our guest speaker, Chelsea Fox when she talked more on elder abuse. The video she showed in class informed us that about ninety percent of elder abusers are related to the victim. I was startled by this because I always taught the one placed the elderly would be abused is the nursing home. The way I saw I, was the nursing staff gets tired of taking care of them and get frustrated and start to abuse their …show more content…
For example, Mary was abused by her son, and her son was known for taking drugs. The stress of taking care of his mother combined with the drugs became risk factors which led the son to start abusing Mary. Mary said she was attacked by her son every time he came home under the influence of drugs. Mary was stabbed thirty times, and had a hip broken by her son, and each time he would apologizes. Dorothy was also a victim because of her alcoholic son, but end up staying with her son even after going to counselling. As we discuss in class, caregivers have to know when to ask for help before it get to a point where they abusing the elderly. Another way elder abuse cab be prevented is for the caregivers to take on activities that will reduce stress. For example, they can do yoga for few hours, or take a day off and have fun. When a caregiver is emotionally stable, they are more able to give the elderly the best of care.
In addition, the film showed how the elderly cab be psychological abused. Lucille’s daughter physical took good care of her mother, but did not try to understand her mom in an emotional level. The daughter did not understand why Lucile did not want to have the husband in the same roof. Lucille’s daughter was treating her as if she was a kid, as someone who did not have a say of what happen in her own life. I was glad to find out that Lucille is living with another relative.