June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
is June 15. It was launched in 2006 by the International Network for the
Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the
United Nations.
Elder abuse is a largely hidden and growing
problem in the United States. It is defined by law as “an act or
omission, which results in a serious physical or emotional injury to an
elderly person or financial exploitation of an elderly person, or the
failure, inability or resistance of an elderly person to provide for
himself or herself one or more of the necessities essential for physical
and emotional well-being, without which the elderly person would be
unable to safely remain in the community.”
Elder abuse can include
physical, sexual and emotional mistreatment, neglect, and financial
exploitation. Another form of elder abuse is self-neglect.
In
Massachusetts, self-neglect is a serious and reportable component of
elder abuse. Older adults who are not successfully able to care for
themselves, and who refuse help, are at tremendous risk of ill health
and even death. According to a survey of elder care experts,
self-neglect among the elderly is a growing problem that commonly goes
unreported.
The survey, conducted by the National Association of
Professional Geriatric Care Managers, found that self-neglect among
seniors is the most common form of elder abuse encountered by care
managers. Self-neglect in older adults is a poorly understood problem
with public health implications. Although lacking a standardized
definition, it is characterized by profound inattention to health and
hygiene.
Self-neglect is a complex issue. There are many things
that can cause an elder to stop taking care of him or herself, including
dementia, depression, disease, poverty and isolation. If an elder is
deemed clinically capable of making his or her own decisions, even if
there are signs of self-neglect, the individual can choose to refuse
help and protective services providers (such as SeniorCare’s Protective
Services Department) are bound to respect that decision. For these
elders who are capable of making their own choices, there may be a
societal and psychological element at play.
Children and animals — whose abuse issues, unlike elder abuse,
capture major media attention — are not expected to care for themselves.
But an aging adult has different self and societal pressures for
self-care. They have spent their adult lives not only caring for
themselves, but, in most cases, being responsible for the care of
others. Adults moving into a phase of life where they need assistance to
be independent can experience a challenge to their self-identity and
self-worth. Asking for help can be emotionally and psychologically
difficult.
Many older adults who experience a decline in their
ability to take care of day-to-day matters fear that asking for help
will lead to a loss of independence and possible placement in a nursing
home or other long-term care facility. The paradox is that, by accepting
help, a person will become more capable of maintaining his or her
independence and living at home. SeniorCare’s mission is to provide and
coordinate services for elders and others that enable them to continue
living at home and in their communities.
SeniorCare and our
community partners typically hold elder abuse awareness rallies in
communities around the North Shore through the month of June. With the
current COVID-19 situation, we are not able to hold those rallies this
year. Please help our elder community by keeping your friends and family
members in mind and checking on them regularly. Remind them to be
cautious of phone calls from possible scam artists. Make sure they know
that you are available if a need arises for assistance.
If you
ever suspect elder self-neglect or other abuse, please call the
Massachusetts-based Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275.
Tracy
Arabian is the communications officer at SeniorCare Inc., a local agency
on aging that serves Gloucester, Beverly, Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich,
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.
Full Article & Source:
SENIOR LOKOUT: Self-neglect an often overlooked form of elder abuse
