Striking amounts of abuse in elderly homes
Verbal, physical, financial or emotional – they are all forms of abuse and all too common to those residing in nursing homes across America.
Chicago, Illinois – A study was recently conducted in response to a National Research Council report, which called for scientific study of elder mistreatment. The results they found were shocking. Approximately 13 percent of elderly Americans experience some form of abuse, and of this 13 percent, nine percent of adults reported verbal, 3.5 percent reported financial, and 0.2 percent reported physical mistreatment. The study also cited that any form of physical impairment the elderly display is often seen as vulnerability and are often mistreated more than others without disabilities.
“Elder Mistreatment in the U.S.: Prevalence Estimates from a Nationally-Representative Study,” displays the difference in the level of care given depending on gender and ethnicity. In addition, the study found that “females were about twice as likely to report verbal mistreatment, Latinos were about half as likely as non Latinos to report verbal mistreatment and 78 percent less likely to report financial mistreatment; and blacks were 77 percent more likely to report financial mistreatment than whites.” It was confirmed by those surveyed, that normally, the abuser is someone the victim knows and spends much of his or her time with. The study confirmed this: “26 percent identified a spouse or romantic partner as responsible, 15 percent said their children mistreated them verbally, while the remainder said a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or boss was responsible. Among people who reported financial mistreatment, 57 percent reported someone other than a spouse, parent or child, usually another relative, was taking advantage of them.”
It is hard enough to cope with our loved ones aging, but witnessing them suffer unnecessary abuse in certain care facilities is extremely painful. With so many choices of nursing homes in America, how do you choose the right one?
1. Ask around. Get advice from your physicians, friends or other family members that have experienced a similar situation. Ask what their recommendations are.
2. Go visit. Take tours of various homes during various times of the day. Look for cleanliness. Notice if the staff is caring and friendly. Seek out how the home is run on a daily basis.
3. The mood. Get a feel for the overall atmosphere or ambiance of the place. Are they provided with activities to do throughout their days? How is the food? Ask the current residents if they are happy, study their dispositions, if many seem upset, quiet and ignored, you can have a pretty good idea of how they are treated.
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