What Are The Risk Factors For Elder Abuse?

Posted by: KHTS Articles in News Articles July 9, 2020 - 9:06 am 0 463 Views

As senior citizens age, their bodies gradually work less effectively as they once did. This often results in needing special care to smoothly get through the day.

Unfortunately, elders are naturally vulnerable to mistreatment as a result of depending on someone else for care. This is known as elder abuse.

Many behaviors classify as neglect and abuse, which means it may not always be obvious when an elder is being abused. Instead, it’s helpful to understand what the risk factors for elder abuse are so you can determine if your loved one is at risk.

Some qualities and characteristics make a senior citizen particularly susceptible to being mistreated. We’ll analyze the primary risk factors for elder abuse below.

Mental Illness

One common risk factor for elder abuse involves mental illness.

Seniors with a mental illness are particularly vulnerable because they are not in their normal state of mind. This makes them more prone to manipulation and deceit.

Some elders have particularly volatile mental health conditions like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s. This can make them unpredictable, which can lead to caregivers intentionally mistreating them.

This brings up the notion of mental illnesses being frowned upon. Some caregivers are particularly unfair to seniors with illnesses because of their condition paired with the fact that there is little chance of retaliation.

The main problem with mental illnesses is that it makes a senior largely unable to address or correct their mistreatment. In some scenarios, they may not even be aware it is occurring.

For all these reasons, any form of mental illness will make an elder inherently at risk of being abused. Pay close attention to any elderly family members with suspected or documented mental illnesses to ensure they aren’t being mistreated.

High Dependence

A high level of dependency also makes elder abuse more likely.

The more that a senior citizen relies on their caregiver, the greater the responsibility the caregiver has to the elder. In some situations, this can be overwhelming and result in unintentional lapses in care.

Alternatively, a highly dependent elder needs their caregiver to survive. As a result, they are entirely at their mercy and discretion. If a caregiver is stressed or has bad intentions, they can easily use this power dynamic against a senior citizen they are caring for.

Considering this, the level of care an elder needs will affect their risk level for being mistreated. If your older family member is highly dependent, you may want to watch how well they are being treated.

Social Isolation

Socially isolated seniors are also at a higher risk of experiencing elder abuse.

Any senior citizen can be mistreated, but it becomes harder to detect in those that don’t have a support network. Elders that are in frequent communication with loved ones are less likely to be abused because there are simply more opportunities to notice signs of mistreatment.

On the other hand, isolated seniors do not have this luxury. When they experience abuse and mistreatment, they may know it is wrong but have nobody to turn to.

Being in a position of needing a caregiver puts seniors into a precarious predicament. They may fear losing the assistance of their only caregiver by speaking out against them. At the same time, saying nothing allows their abuse to persist.

This means that the less connected an elder is to their friends and family, the greater the chances of them being abused. Do your best to stay in touch with older loved ones to remind them they aren’t alone.

Dangerous Caregivers

On the other side of things, dangerous caregivers pose a major threat to vulnerable elders.

Elders themselves can have factors affecting their risk level, but their caregivers also have risk factors for abuse. Specifically, some caregivers are prone to violence and aggressive behavior due to their upbringing and past.

In particular, caregivers that have any incidences of violence, arrest, and substance abuse are more likely to abuse the elderly. This does not mean that all previous criminals are abusive caregivers, but there is an undeniable correlation between the two.

Identifying a dangerous caregiver requires a background check before letting them care for your loved one. Be thorough and don’t let anyone questionable watch over an elderly family member.

Poorly Maintained Facilities

Lastly, poorly maintained facilities like nursing homes tend to have greater rates of elder abuse.

The primary issue with senior care establishments is that many are underfunded. This results in minimal budgets for core expenses like staffing and supplies.

With inadequate funding, the level of care your loved one receives will inevitably suffer. This can happen in one of two ways.

First, the facility may attempt to care for your senior family member but fail to meet the mark because they don’t have the resources.

Good examples of this include understaffed facilities that do not have enough bodies to care for each resident and insufficient nutrition resulting from a low food budget.

Alternatively, the conditions at the establishment may cause caregivers to behave inappropriately. Understaffed and underfunded facilities often involve little oversight, which makes abuse and mistreatment difficult to detect and address.

Both approaches result in your loved one not receiving the care they deserve. Not all nursing homes and senior care facilities operate like this, but many do and this gives them a questionable reputation.

Should you choose assisted living for your older family member, be sure that you vet the facility beforehand. Look for warning signs of mistreatment like a lack of cleanliness, foul odors, rude staff, or disgruntled residents.

Closing Thoughts

Elder abuse is a frustrating reality that must be addressed. Many senior citizens are mistreated due to their need for care and an inability to respond to the situation. While all elders are at risk, some are more likely to be abused than others.

Specifically, senior citizens with mental illnesses, a high level of dependence on their caregiver, and those that are socially isolated are at the highest risk. If an elder is paired with a dangerous caregiver or placed in a poorly maintained facility, this also makes mistreatment more likely.

As you can see, elder abuse can present itself in many different ways. Be aware of the risk factors and watch for red flags of abuse to ensure your loved one has the best life possible.