Elder Abuse

As our population ages so does the number of elder abuse cases. Often elders do not report abuse or neglect for many reasons:

  • Shame/guilt

  • Taught not to “air their dirty laundry”

  • Dependence on abuser for care/shelter

  • Mobility and/or sensory impairments

  • Rarely left alone with anyone except the caregiver

  • Abusive/neglectful situation is their “normal” (history of abuse)

  • Fear not being believed (labelled forgetful or mentally incompetent)

  • Isolated

There are several types of elder abuse/neglect:

  • Emotional- e.g yelled at, threatened, or isolated

  • Financial- abuse of financial control or misallocation of the elders resources e.g elder doesn’t know where their money is going or certain family members or friends only visit on pension day

  • Physical- e.g. pushed, restrained (for other than their own safety), or slapped

  • Sexual- e.g touched inappropriately or forced to engage in watching explicit material

  • Medical- e.g withholding medication or over sedating

  • Neglect- failure to receive adequate care and/or resources, e.g. untreated medical conditions, poor hygiene, unhealthy weight

  • Self-neglect- elder perhaps lives alone and has become unable to provide themselves adequate care and/or is a threat to their own well-being, e.g. untreated medical conditions, poor hygiene, unhealthy weight, mobility and sensory issues

Abuse of an elder can begin for several reasons:

  • Caregiver fatigue

  • Caregiver suffers from uncontrolled mental illness or substance abuse

  • Family violence in the home

  • Lack of resources and supports

Elder abuse not only occurs in care giver relationships, but can be seen when the elder is in relationships with family members, friends, strangers, and service providers.

The above lists are not all inclusive and do not excuse elder abuse for any reason.

If you are concerned for the well-being and/or safety of an elder, please speak to a professional or contact your local Adult Protective Services or Provincial Family Violence Line about your concerns, or if an emergency please call 911.

References

Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Council. (2020, June 15) What is elder abuse? https://www.albertaelderabuse.ca/what-is-elder-abuse/what-is-elder-abuse

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Dawn Comeau