Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Editorial Advisory Committee
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Essential Principles in the Care of the Elderly
- 2 Assessment of the Older Patient
- 3 Prevention for Older Adults
- 4 Common Complaints in the Elderly
- 5 Appropriate Use of Medications in the Elderly
- 6 Nutrition and Aging
- 7 Using Exercise as Medicine for Older Adults
- 8 Diabetes Mellitus in the Older Adult
- 9 Lipid Management in Older Patients
- 10 Hypertension
- 11 Diagnosis and Management of Heart Disease in the Elderly
- 12 Peripheral Arterial Disease in the Elderly
- 13 Stroke in the Older Adult
- 14 Neurological Problems in the Elderly
- 15 Recognition and Management of Delirium
- 16 Evaluation and Management of Dementia
- 17 Clinical Geropsychiatry
- 18 Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse in Older Patients
- 19 Aging in Adults with Developmental Disabilities
- 20 Pulmonary Issues in the Elderly
- 21 Gastroenterological Disease in the Older Adult
- 22 Serious Infections in the Elderly
- 23 Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the Elderly
- 24 Principles of Fluid and Electrolyte Balance and Renal Disorders in the Older Patient
- 25 Urological Issues in Older Adults
- 26 Urinary Incontinence
- 27 Geriatric Gynecology
- 28 Disorders of the Endocrine Glands
- 29 Osteoporosis and Other Metabolic Disorders of the Skeleton in Aging
- 30 Common Rheumatic Diseases in the Elderly
- 31 Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Elderly
- 32 Foot Health for the Elderly: Podogeriatric Overview
- 33 Geriatric Dermatology
- 34 Pressure Ulcers: Practical Considerations in Prevention and Treatment
- 35 Anemia and Other Hematological Problems of the Elderly
- 36 Cancer in the Elderly
- 37 Eye Problems of the Aged
- 38 Geriatric Ear, Nose, and Throat Problems
- 39 Geriatric Dentistry
- 40 Surgical Principles in the Aged
- 41 Rehabilitation in Older Adults
- 42 Community-Based Long-Term Care
- 43 Institutional Long-Term Care
- 44 Care for the Elderly Patient at the End of Life
- 45 Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity
- 46 Injuries in Older Adults
- 47 The Mistreatment of Older Adults
- 48 Driving and the Older Adult
- 49 Integrative Medicine in the Care of the Elderly
- 50 Successful Aging: Optimizing Strategies for Primary Care Geriatrics
- 51 Cell Biology and Physiology of Aging
- 52 Implications of an Aging Society
- 53 Ethnogeriatrics
- 54 Retirement
- 55 Geriatric Sexuality
- 56 The Elderly, Their Families, and Their Caregivers
- 57 Systematic Approaches to Preventing Errors in the Care of the Elderly
- 58 Health Care Organization and Financing
- 59 Advance Care Planning: Values and Families in End-of-Life Care
- 60 Ethical Decision Making in Geriatric Medicine
- Index
- Plate section
47 - The Mistreatment of Older Adults
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 May 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Editorial Advisory Committee
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Essential Principles in the Care of the Elderly
- 2 Assessment of the Older Patient
- 3 Prevention for Older Adults
- 4 Common Complaints in the Elderly
- 5 Appropriate Use of Medications in the Elderly
- 6 Nutrition and Aging
- 7 Using Exercise as Medicine for Older Adults
- 8 Diabetes Mellitus in the Older Adult
- 9 Lipid Management in Older Patients
- 10 Hypertension
- 11 Diagnosis and Management of Heart Disease in the Elderly
- 12 Peripheral Arterial Disease in the Elderly
- 13 Stroke in the Older Adult
- 14 Neurological Problems in the Elderly
- 15 Recognition and Management of Delirium
- 16 Evaluation and Management of Dementia
- 17 Clinical Geropsychiatry
- 18 Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse in Older Patients
- 19 Aging in Adults with Developmental Disabilities
- 20 Pulmonary Issues in the Elderly
- 21 Gastroenterological Disease in the Older Adult
- 22 Serious Infections in the Elderly
- 23 Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the Elderly
- 24 Principles of Fluid and Electrolyte Balance and Renal Disorders in the Older Patient
- 25 Urological Issues in Older Adults
- 26 Urinary Incontinence
- 27 Geriatric Gynecology
- 28 Disorders of the Endocrine Glands
- 29 Osteoporosis and Other Metabolic Disorders of the Skeleton in Aging
- 30 Common Rheumatic Diseases in the Elderly
- 31 Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Elderly
- 32 Foot Health for the Elderly: Podogeriatric Overview
- 33 Geriatric Dermatology
- 34 Pressure Ulcers: Practical Considerations in Prevention and Treatment
- 35 Anemia and Other Hematological Problems of the Elderly
- 36 Cancer in the Elderly
- 37 Eye Problems of the Aged
- 38 Geriatric Ear, Nose, and Throat Problems
- 39 Geriatric Dentistry
- 40 Surgical Principles in the Aged
- 41 Rehabilitation in Older Adults
- 42 Community-Based Long-Term Care
- 43 Institutional Long-Term Care
- 44 Care for the Elderly Patient at the End of Life
- 45 Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity
- 46 Injuries in Older Adults
- 47 The Mistreatment of Older Adults
- 48 Driving and the Older Adult
- 49 Integrative Medicine in the Care of the Elderly
- 50 Successful Aging: Optimizing Strategies for Primary Care Geriatrics
- 51 Cell Biology and Physiology of Aging
- 52 Implications of an Aging Society
- 53 Ethnogeriatrics
- 54 Retirement
- 55 Geriatric Sexuality
- 56 The Elderly, Their Families, and Their Caregivers
- 57 Systematic Approaches to Preventing Errors in the Care of the Elderly
- 58 Health Care Organization and Financing
- 59 Advance Care Planning: Values and Families in End-of-Life Care
- 60 Ethical Decision Making in Geriatric Medicine
- Index
- Plate section
Summary
INTRODUCTION
Mistreatment of older adults is not a new phenomenon; it has been a feature of society since antiquity. Among nomadic tribes, older adults who could no longer contribute to the welfare of the tribe were often abandoned when the tribe moved on. King Lear is an example of severe abuse during Shakespeare's era. In the agrarian society of the latter 1800s and early 1900s, when multiple generations lived together, there were many instances of abuse documented in court records and sermons of that time. Sometimes maintaining an elderly parent in the home had more to do with ensuring the transfer of an inheritance than borne out of love or a sense of responsibility.
The 1960s was the decade for the recognition of child abuse followed by spouse abuse in the 1970s. In the 1980s some preliminary studies and hearings confirmed the presence of elder abuse. From the initial evidence it appeared elder abuse was widespread and crossed all social, racial, and economic barriers. Various types of abuse such as physical, psychological, material, and violation of rights occurred. The most common type was neglect, with family members being the most common perpetrators. Most states then rushed to develop legislation to combat abuse, but fewer states provided the necessary services to deal adequately with the problem.
The mistreatment of older adults includes several types of abuse. Physical abuse includes direct physical assaults, from slapping to homicide. This also includes sexual assaults, which some authorities place in a separate category. Physical neglect is the failure to provide a dependent older adult with the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, medicine, a safe living environment, and assistive devices.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Reichel's Care of the ElderlyClinical Aspects of Aging, pp. 502 - 507Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009