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manas
January 7th, 2003, 10:17 AM
Abuse of Older People in Families


The world’s ageing population, that is persons of the age of 60 years and above, is increasing at a very rapid pace, and most of this category of people would be in developing countries. India at present ranks fourth among countries of the world with a large elderly population and by the year 2000 A.D. it will be second only to China. The world Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna, Austria, from 14th to 25th June 1993 had pleased strongly to the prevention of human rights abuse. Many older people being severely dependent upon others are unable to care of their physical, financial or basic personal needs. Some elderly people have disabling health problems, resulting from Alzheimers disease associated with ageing, stroke and heart problems etc. and so they require supervised care either at home or in an institution.


Research done in many advanced countries has shown that a number of older adults are neither happy and nor safe. They are being victimised by family members, informal care providers, friends or formal caregivers in institutional settings. According to a recent national survey conducted by Ryerson Polytechical Institute, which is funded by the Canadian Department of Health and Welfare, at least five percent of seniors within their community setting have experienced abuse. Elder abuse is defined as harm to an older person caused by someone in a position of trust, who may have control over the victim. This includes material abuse such as financial exploitation, physical abuse such as pushing, shoving or physical assault, psychological abuse such as chronically threatening, swearing at or insulting the other person, and neglect or failing to provide necessary help such as meal preparation, housework or personal care.


A wide variety of people are directly involved in the domestic mistreatment of older people. Abusers can also include an older person’s neighbours or landlord. Husbands or wives, or other long standing partners who have been abusive for many years are also unlikely to change their behaviour due to old age. Forgetting to give an older person’s needs is passive neglect. Medicine due to tiredness or not understanding the older person’s needs is passive neglect. This can be tragic result of well-meaning family members, friends or other people who take up the care of a frail and dependent older people but who are incapable of meeting that person’s needs. They may not be up to the task for many reasons. The home care of a frail elderly person may be more difficult than most people think. The physical, emotional and financial costs can be enormous particularly when the dependent older person is bedridden, incontinent or has a long term behaviour-changing illness. All human relationships are fragile. Even during the best of times, members of close-knit families who live together go through period that require extra tact and understanding. In addition, caring for an older person at home demands a number of skills the ability to clean an older person with poor mobility, the ability to turn and bathe a bedridden person without causing harm, the ability to look after yourself whilst caring for an older person.


There are many other kinds of abuses too for elderly persons, such as by inflicting physical pain or injury, for example, by slapping, pushing, physically restraining etc. Then treating the older person like a child, humiliating them, frightening them or calling them insulting names is the infliction of mental anguish upon them. As such, elder abuse has evoked much reaction in countries like Canada and USA. In Ontario, Canada, Ms. Blaine Ziemba, Minister for Citizenship, introducing Advocacy Act in the Ontario Legislature three years ago said that there have been many incidents where older people have died of abuse. According to the Minister, the need for the Advocacy Act was identified as a result of coroners’ inquests during the last 12 to 15 years, which showed a number of Ontario’s seniors were neglected or abused. This Act is there for people who feel the system is not working for them and they are being abused and neglected. The American Association of Retired Perons (AARP) has recently published a booklet entitled "Domestic Mistreatment of the Elderly" and they are planning as to what the family and the community can do to prevent mistreatment of older people.


But, in India, yet elderly people, who are victims of elder abuse, have to suffer silently!

dkumar
January 7th, 2003, 10:45 AM
Suresh Bhai,

You have come up with a problem being faced by most of olders across the communities and countries..

I feel problem lies within respective families as youngers reciprocate what they learn during their growing up time courtesy their parents and other kiths and kins....

So if we are looking forward to counter this we need to mend ourselves first to inculcate right things in next generations to come!

Thanks,

kharb
January 7th, 2003, 03:36 PM
Probably the younger generation should think how they would like their kids to treat them when the old themselves.

If this thing is clear then the problem will probably will be eliminated.

vinoddhaaka
January 7th, 2003, 04:23 PM
The issue is of greater relevance today as the size of families has reduced due to break down of joint family system and younger genration leaving their homes in search of greener pastures in a competitive world.
But an solutions are very difficult to find. Their are only three possible options -
1) Old generation leaving thier home to live in a new place with younger ones.
2) State support
3) A co operative social relationship for mutual help among older and adult members of community with or without state support
The debate should necessarily be around these three options and their pros and cons for our community.
More Later Thanks