Elder abuse is more common

Elder abuse is more common

Elder abuse is more common than we think. We need to learn or spot the warning signs of elder abuse and what we can do to help them. Elder neglect and abuse from the family members are most common and more cases go unreported. As such, I will focus on the types of elderly abuse from the provided case study, spot warning, and signs of abuse and interventions used to help the elder people.

Notably, one of the elderly abuse experienced in the case study is caregiver neglect. From the case study, it is evident that the grandparent’s first son who is supposed to take parents, has failed to provide, food, water, clothes, and provide assistance with activities of daily living. We can learn from the case study that grandparents were living in poor conditions and unclean environments. When the narrator’s parents arrived for an unscheduled visit to their parents’ home, they found the house was disoriented and unclean. Inside the house was filthy and littered with trash, overgrown landscaping, broken fence, and shuttered windows. This indicated that their caregiver, elder son, have failed to provide essential help needed for their daily living. He has also failed to provide food as it is reported that there was just a little food and a lot of alcohol. Their son was an alcoholic and that resulted in neglecting his duties to take care of his elder parents.

Moreover, grandparents were abused financially by their eldest son. According to the case study, their eldest son persuaded the grandmother to write him a cheque for household bills. Unfortunately, he would use the money to buy beer and drink them at the driveway. He also visited them at the hospital because he wanted them to sign a cheque. He was still exploiting them financially when they were at the hospital.

Signs of elder abuse sometimes might be difficult to recognize because they might be mistaken for symptoms of an elderly person’s frailty or dementia. Moreover, caregivers may explain signs of elderly abuse differently intending to lie to authority and organizations responsible for adult protection. From the case study, the signs or warnings of the elder abuse are evident which include, inadequate food and water, lack of basic hygiene and clean water, and appropriate clothing. From the case study, we can learn that despite the grandparent’s elder son promising to take care of his parents since he had no job, he never looked after them. When my parents visited for the second time, my grandparents living conditions were worse than before. They were scantily dressed, dirty, weak and they were lying in their waste which is unhygienic. Their house was a mess with mold covering the walls and ceilings. Surprisingly, my uncle used to lie to the Adult Protective Services (APS) and authority that he is taking care of the parents but signs and warnings were clear they were neglected. While explaining their relationship with their elder son, grandparents were uncooperative and they showed signs of anxiety, depression, and confusion. This depicted that they were being affected emotionally. Moreover, my uncle’s refusal to allow my parents to see their parents was a clear sign of elder abuse. He never wanted them to discover he is not carrying out his duties and responsibilities.

Grandparent’s eldest son was an alcoholic and this was supposed to be a red flag to the authorities. There was no enough food at the house but there was an abundance of alcohol which depicted he don’t care about the living conditions of his parents. The caregiver, grandparent’s eldest son, failed to show affection towards his siblings which was also another sign of elder abuse. Conversations between grandparents and family members over the phone faded slowly and some calls would go unanswered.

Their withdrawal from family members is a warning that they are abused. As said, with all the signs and warnings, authority and APS were supposed to take immediate actions to ensure the grandparent’s safety.

There were interventions used although some of them were not successful. To start with, authority and APS were notified about the conditions of the grandparents but they were slow to respond. After insisting that the living condition of the grandparents needs to be improved, few measures were taken. They were taken to hospital and their eldest son confirmed that he will be tending tasks of transporting his parents to hospital for medical appointments and ensuring they follow their transcription promptly. However, there was no follow up by the authority or ASP if there was an improvement in the living conditions of the grandparents. This was not beneficial to the grandparents because their living conditions continued to worsen despite the frequent phone call made to authority and APS by their grandchild. The next invasion which was beneficial occurred when grandchild called a crisis hotline, APS, and police with a message that he or she will document that grandparents are dying but they are not willing to help. Although it took forty-eight hours to act, police and APS arrived at grandparent’s home. However, the intervention was not successful because grandparents claimed that they were okay and they don’t need help. Luckily, after-hours crises workers intervened and provided emergency custody for the grandparents’ safety.

Unfortunately, elders are abused by their family members or caregivers who are supposed to cater for their daily needs. It is sad to know that authorities and institutions are aware of elder abuse but they are not willing to take necessary measures to keep them safe. From the case study, the city’s building inspector was aware of the situation and despite numerous citations for hazardous environmental conditions, no actions were taken. It is important to check o the elder people to ensure they are not abused because sometimes they are afraid to share their bad experiences with families and caregivers. In case of the elder abuse, it is important to report them to the authorities and institutions such as APS and followed up to ensure beneficial actions are taken. In conclusion, it is evident from the case study that elder abuse continues to increase every day due to an increased number of an aging population and it is our responsibility to report these cases just like the grandchild from the case study.

Anything learned from your readings that you thought would be more beneficial in helping the elders in situations like