Sunday 21 April 2019

How To Deal With Elder Abuse

By Susan Morris


When left unchecked and unaccounted for, some circumstances can bring out the worst in people. Although capable of the highest acts and virtues, given some tweaks in circumstances, anyone can just as easily swoop down to their primeval instincts of power play and aggression. This turn of events can consequently go downhill and make way for elder abuse to happen.

It is nearly intuitive why this kind of abuse is going on. After all, this loaded word involves one commonality, in that it is targeted towards a person who is smaller and generally less strong and more helpless. Elder and child abuse are actually on the same tangent. However, the latter does seem to be more given awareness and attention than the latter.

Where were talking about this happening, it mostly has to do with an aggressor that the victim knows, like a family member, caretaker, or any person that the victim has reason to be indebted or dependent to. And then, of course, there are also instances where the elder may lie and make up accusations. As you can probably appreciate, the challenges are great and many here.

However, we can be safe with a few generalizations. The most common example of abuse is probably physical. Say, in slapping, punching, kicking, and hitting an elder. Forced confinement or imprisonment is also subsumed in this category, as well as giving deliberate overdoses on drugs and medication. Whatever the case or intent, all these are instances of maltreatment and should be duly reported.

Because this is such a common occurrence and trend, there are laws that are put in place against it. Rooting out those responsible can be really difficult, in the same way as dealing with child abuse. After all, we are also talking about a dependent person. Therefore, the arrangement must involve some sort of passing of care and responsibility.

Anyway, there are many different trends in this phenomenon, and they can be culture dependent. For example, the elderly are given very high status in some cultures, and therein, they are more likely to be greatly respected. In some societies, extended families are pretty much common, and that is why it is easier for everyone to delegate the care of their senior to each other and be commonly accountable. Filial piety is stronger is some nations more than others.

Theres also neglect, wherein the senior is deprived of care, basic necessities, creature comforts, and medical treatment. This is answerable to, whether intentional or passive. And then you have sexual abuse. Cases are numerous since there are some elders who are expressly unable to give consent in participating in such acts, whether direct or in promiscuous ways, such as getting them to engage in conversations that they would otherwise have found objectionable.

That mainly means to underline the factors that fuel the happening. However, its still all down on the person. It zeroes down on how he uses control and power over others. After all, people in general, no matter the size and age, are entitled to their own well being and human rights. This also serves to underscore the challenge in overturning the status quo. After all, it involves a radical change on a societys internal system, making them gain values, overturn culture, defy economic conditions, and some such.

Whatever the case, theres no changing the fact that this happening is a worldwide issue. Therefore, much attention should really be granted to it. Its, therefore, a positive benchmark on our societal development, when international attention is focused on it, in the form of community groups, government agencies, and INGOs from the whole world over. Nowadays, awareness is at an all time high, and there are events held that aim to raise awareness in realizing the abuses existence, patterns, and plotting ways to stop them.




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