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Essay On Elder Abuse

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It can be stated that abuse can be conducted against the elderly when within the care of others. In this essay, I will be discussing the abuse, and the different types of mistreatment directed at the elderly in both care homes, and outside. I will be looking at what predicts elder abuse, the different types of abuse regarding some of the typologies made, the perpetrators involved, where it may occur, and the repercussions one may experience as an elder having been abused.
Mistreatment can be defined as “Intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm, whether or not intended, to a vulnerable elder by a caregiver or other persons who stands in a trust relationship to the elder” (Bonnie and Wallace, 2003, p.39.)
The concept of ‘elder abuse’ is a moderately new idea although it has been occurring since the beginning of humanity, only having been focused on in Ireland since the 1980’s. Previously, it was primarily researched in the United States of America and the UK during the 1970’s. Nowadays there is more research done on elder abuse than ever before, as it is a growing topic of discussion, along with …show more content…
The emotional well-being of an elderly person is very important. Research on elder abuse has found that well-being is critical and can have negative effects to an older person experiencing abuse in any form. “Psychological well-being is critically important to health and ageing, and psychological distress has been associated with morbidity and mortality” (Dong et at., 2013, p.132.) Emotional abuse can include verbal or nonverbal insults, a sense of humiliation, or contributing to mental suffering. Emotional abuse is among the most common types of abuse seen among elders. In a study conducted by ‘The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry’ reported, “verbally abusive behaviour was the most frequently observed type of elder abuse behaviour” (Ogioni et al., 2007

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