Recently my grandpa with Parkinsons was moved from his regular retirement home room to the 3rd floor, assisted living. He called my mom and said, "Patti. They're puttin' me in the slammer. They're putting me away, sending me to the slammer." We all laughed about this and saw the humor in my grandpa's stubborn attitude, but should we laugh?
As I read on http://www.karisable.com/elderabuse.htm that, 90% of elder abuse and neglect incidents are by known perpetrators, usually family members, 2/3rds are adult children or spouses. 42% of murder victims over 60 were killed by their own offspring. Spouses were the perpetrators in 24% of family murders of persons over 60. The eldest of our seniors, 80 years and older, are abused and neglected at 2 - 3 times the proportion of all other senior citizens. (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
In most states "mandatory reporters of elder abuse" are required by law to report suspected cases of elder maltreatment. Nearly 70 percent of Adult Protective Service agencies' annual caseloads involve elder abuse.
21.6% of all domestic elder abuse reports came from physicians or health care professionals 9.4% from service providers, 14.9% are family members. They types of abuses and their percentage of frequency are below.
Neglect 58.5%
Physical abuse 15.7%
Financial exploitation 12.3%
Emotional abuse 7.3%
Sexual abuse .04%
All other types 5.1%
Unknown .06%
(National Center on Elder Abuse, 1994 The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study: Final Report Washington, DC: Administration for Children and Families & Administration on Aging, US Department of Health and Human Services)
More than 91% of nursing homes lack adequate staff to properly care for patients. The Health and Human Services Department report found patients in understaffed nursing homes were more likely to suffer from a variety of problems, such as bed sores, malnutrition, weight loss, dehydration, pneumonia, and serious blood born infections. It's a serious concern that will only increase with time, given that the population of people aged 85 or older is expected to double to 8.9 million by the year 2030.
This is ridiculous! How can people just neglect their parents or grandparents?! I really think this is an issue commonly overlooked by our country. It is a serious issue I think our government needs to pay more attention to. I know some people will say "They are going to die soon anyways" or "they aren't as important as children" and etc. I guess it just bothers me more because our country puts such an emphasis on how "well" we treat our elderly, when the fact is that we really don't.
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That is just terrible. I had no idea the statistics were so high on this kind of abuse. There should be punishment for abuse to anybody, especially the elderly.
You're right, it's pretty sickening. I guess people just get caught up in their own lives, that's the only reason I can piece together. The roles are supposed to switch, you're supposed to be cared for by your parents when youre a kid and vice versa when your parents get old.
+mspin
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/weezyf
This was a great blog and you gave great information. My grandmother (who I adore) lives in Florida. She had a stroke and fell and broke her leg. The rehab center told her to either pay 6,000 dollars a month or get out. Medicare won't pay for her care anymore. When she broke her leg nurses neglected to treat her broken leg so it started to get infected. I would take care of my parent if they were sick. I took care of my mom and she was only 47. I hate how this world is sometimes.
I am here to inform and help:
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
Love comments? I do too!
Thank you! Sorry to hear about your grandmother, that is a shame, but it only helps to further prove my point of the fact that our elders are not properly taken care of in this country. I think that the Asian cultures have it right though, they always take care of the grandparents. I always see the families out at dinner, or driving around with the grandparents, they don't just leave them at home or send them to assisted living.
Après la pluie le beau temps. ♥
Sorry
I also believe that the Asian culture really take care of their parents. They have been taught respect alot better than american culture. The eldery are not being treated fairly and it is very sad. I feel bad for the ones who have no family alive to take care of them. My grand mother should be ok.. I hope. I have had enough death in my family to go around...my cousin and my mother was the hardest to deal with. Thanks for your concern!
Sorry it posted 3 times. It has been doing this alot on the site lately
Computer Malfunction.