Leah Androski reporter2@greenepublishing.com
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) takes place yearly, on June 15. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was started in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) at the United Nations.
On the United Nations website, they define elder abuse as,” a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an exception of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.” In 2017, a study revealed that one in six people ages 60 years old and older have experienced some type of abuse. This means 141 million reported elderly were abused globally. During the pandemic, elderly abuse is said to have risen. Elder abuse is considered to be a private matter and is often left alone within the family. Elder abuse occurs within developed and undeveloped countries and is often unreported worldwide. If health care workers and social service sectors are equipped to identify and deal with the abuse, then elderly abuse will be a less recurring theme.
There are different kinds of elderly abuse, the most common being psychological abuse. Most of the victims are women with a disability and no family or friends nearby. Abuse mainly happens to the elderly who need help with everyday tasks. Signs that an elderly person is being abused are the following: stops taking part in activities they enjoy, looks messy, has trouble sleeping, loses weight, becomes withdrawn, starts acting agitated, starts acting violent, shows physical signs of punishment, develops bed sores, lacks medical aid, has unsafe living conditions, has unexplained injuries, has an eviction notice for unpaid rent, or displays signs of insufficient care.
The long-term effects of abuse are early death, harm to health, financial loss, destruction of social and family ties and much more. Any type of abuse can leave the abused person feeling depressed and fearful. Also, the victim may sometimes feel like the abuse is his or her fault.
If you are a caregiver, make sure you have time to take care of yourself. If you need a break, ask a family member or friend to help on weekends. Other faith-based organizations may have volunteers who can visit and help.
If you think someone you know is being abused, talk with them privately and offer your help. The Administration for Community Living has a National Center on Elder Abuse where you can learn about how to report abuse, where to get help, and state laws that deal with abuse and neglect.