Salt Lake City, UT. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — As our society ages, so too does the prevalence of a disturbing trend: elder abuse. Physical, sexual, financial, mental, and emotional abuse leaves countless seniors vulnerable and traumatized.
The elderly, roughed up in nursing homes, hit by caregivers, stolen from by strangers, and neglected by family.
“I had one woman tell me that she was keeping her mother in the attic, and she didn’t see that as wrong,” explained Virginia Ngai, Elder Justice Advocate, The Center for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and Neglect.
A study by the Administrations of Aging reports that before the covid pandemic, one in 10 elderly adults in the U.S. suffered abuse. Today that number has doubled to one in five.
Virginia Ngai is an elder justice advocate. She’s seeing an uptick in self-neglect, where family members may not know their loved ones are in desperate need of help or aren’t prepared to help.
“They may no, no longer be able to go and shop for themselves or cook for themselves, and they might not be able to fill their medication or take it,” said Ngai.
In 60 percent of cases a family member is the abuser.
“When their parent is acting in behaviors that they’re not used to or they don’t feel as mature, then they may actually just lose it, lose their cool,” explained Ngai.
Strategies that can help include creating a caregiver support team, that provides relief to those caregiving, money management programs are available for those vulnerable to financial exploitation, and adult protective services can help find a safer place for elderly abuse victims to stay. And if you are looking for a caregiver, be sure to make sure they are licensed, insured and have valid referrals.
Elder abuse is an even more widespread issue for vulnerable seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s. Research shows nearly half of older adults with cognitive impairment suffer from abuse. These conditions often impact memory, communication, and judgment, making it difficult for elders to recognize and report abuse when it happens.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor, Matt Goldschmidt, Photographer
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Source:
https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/08/04/man-abuses-elderly-mother-charged-with-neglect-police-say/
https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-elder-abuse/
https://mandatedreporter.com/blog/5-things-you-should-know-about-elder-abuse/
