Progeria

Elder abuse is the term referring to any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. The specificity of laws varies from state to state. Broadly defined elder abuse may be (with signs and symptoms listed below them):

Physical abuse: defined as the use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment. It also includes inappropriate use of drugs and punishment of any kind.

Ð'* Bruises, broken bones, wounds, cuts, bleeding, medication overdose, and sudden change in behavior.

Sexual abuse: non-consensual sexual contact of any kind with an elderly person. This type of abuse includes unwanted touching and sexually explicit photographing.

Ð'*Bruises around breast and genitals, unexplained vernal disease, genital infection, and vaginal or anal bleeding.

Emotional or psychological abuse: infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts.

Ð'* Emotionally upset and being extremely withdrawn.

Neglect is the refusal or failure to provide an elderly person with such life necessities as food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, personal safety, and other essentials.

Ð'* Poor hygiene, malnutrition, untreated health problems, and unsafe living conditions.

Financial or material exploitation: defined as the illegal or improper use of an elder's funds, property, or assets.

Ð'* Abrupt changes in banking documents.

Elder abuse isn't just found in women. It occurs with both genders and all ethnic backgrounds. Elder abuse isn't getting the attention it deserves. A lot of abuse is occurring with older adults, but not much is being said about it. "Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological, or other forms of abuse and neglect. Those statistics may not tell the whole story. For every case of elder abuse and neglect that is reported to authorities, experts estimate that there may be as many as five cases that have not been reported. Recent research suggest that elders who have been abused tend to die earlier than those who are not abused, even in the absence of chronic conditions or life threatening diseases." My belief on why elder abuse has been kept locked up in a closet is because in most cases the abuse is coming straight from their own family members. When this happens they are too afraid to either confront the person or report it to the authorities. They are afraid of turning them in because they are family. Even though they are mistreating them, they don't see them as wrong doers, but as loving family members who make mistakes time to time. In most cases, they would rather kill themselves then turning someone in. "Every eighty-three minutes an elderly American commits suicide." (McIntosh, 1992) When I talk about family members it includes everyone, especially members like the siblings, spouse, and children.

People think that abuse is most commonly found in frail older adults and those who are confound to a wheel chair or bed. It occurs to that particular description and to any other one. As a whole, society views elderly people as weak individuals who can't take care of themselves. Saying that, some try to take advantage of that by raping, robbing, or mistreating them.

Why does elder abuse exist? I think it exists because, the ones who are harming those need to feel powerful in some