Types of Elder Abuse and What Nurses Can Do To Stop It

Today, millions of older people have experienced being abused, whether in the healthcare system or their own home. Elder abuse has become an issue in Ontario as it continues to grow every day because people are not reporting the problem to higher authorities. In this analysis, I will be analyzing and critiquing the issue of elder abuse and tell you the reason behind my interest in elder abuse. Elder abuse happens when seniors have no control over there abuser. The abuser will become in command over the senior’s rights and freedom.

The abuser will intimidate, frighten or make the senior feel they are not worth anything in the society.

The types of elder abuse are physical, financial, emotional, sexual, and neglect. During these forms of violence, different activities occur; Physical abuse can cause pain and discomfort for the senior. Financial abuse, however, is when the abuser can misuse the victim’s money and assets without obtaining permission and without full knowledge.

Neglect is when you are not respecting the seniors’ needs, and you are not providing care because of lack of knowledge. When it comes to emotional and sexual, the senior cannot tolerate sexual behavior directed towards them without the victim knowing. However, the individual’s sense of dignity as well as self-worth being lost because the senior is hurt and it is a sign of disrespect. Kozier et al. state that “All seniors are vulnerable to elder abuse” (Kozier et al., 2018, p. 358). This means that seniors are not able to advocate for themselves when they are under specific circumstances.

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They will become dependent on others to provide for them. This issue interested me because I believe that there are many seniors and older people in society, who are mistreated every day, and they are not getting the respect that they deserve.

Often there will be stories of seniors neglected by their support worker. Children are taught to respect their elders by showing respect, having empathy, and doing acts of kindness towards them. When it comes to elder abuse, I believe that it is an issue in which it comes because deadly because the abuser can be holding a weapon when they are abusing their victim. When it comes to long term care, many seniors are being neglected by the care staff. The care staff is not showing respect as well as caring attitudes towards the people because they know that the senior is in a vulnerable position, so a nurse may feel that they do not have to attend to that particular person. I am against elder abuse, and I find it very heartbreaking when I hear stories about people abusing seniors. It is not something that we should be teaching our children. We have to show respect towards our elders and learn how to nice to them.

Elder abuse Ontario states that elder abuse is considered to be “a single, repeated act, or lack of action” (Elder Abuse Ontario, 2018, para. 1). This means that the abuse does not stop; it will become an on-going experience for the individual, and no one is not fighting against the issue of seniors being abused. Henceforth, there are many senior citizens in the society being neglected and becoming a victim of elder abuse because of bullying as well as violent acts towards them. People should speak up about the incidents by reporting them to higher authorities for the person to live in a safe environment. The role of nursing in addressing elder abuse in nursing practice is that nurses should become familiar in the laws behind abuse regarding reporting the incident.

Dr. Lloyd – Sherlock states “Culturally specific forms of elder abuse and cultural attitudes toward prevention and treatment remain virtually unexplored” (Lloyd – Sherlocks, 2015, p. 9). This means nurses should educate caregivers on recognizing the fact that older seniors become vulnerable and they are not able to care for themselves. Nurse are advised to provide resources for abused victims because it will help increase support from the nursing staff in the facility. Furthermore, the nurse plays an essential role when it comes to elder abuse. If the nurse suspects that their client is abused, they must report it to the college of nurses. The College of Nurses will investigate the situation to ensure that the incident will not take place a second time and to protect the clients from being abused repeatedly. Sometimes, committing a violent act can be fatal if the abuser does not stop. Fraga et al. state that “abuse has immediate effects on health and is sometimes fatal” (Fraga et al., 2017, p. 1.). This means abuse affects our health in negative ways because victims can hurt themselves to end the pain they are going through, which is received from their abuser.

Henceforth, Nurses should become advocates for elders when mistreatment is taking place and always pay attention to the signs as well as symptoms the senior may display. Three nursing interventions that address that relate to elder abuse are providing a safe environment for the client, documenting the incident, and reporting the incident to the supervisor as well as the College of Nurses of Ontario. Registered nursing states the elderly client who is affected with abuse and neglect may also be removed from their current home to protect these vulnerable victims” (Registered Nursing, n.d., para. 23). This means when the nurse provides a safe environment for the client; the individual does not have a sense of fear; their caregiver will protect them because the person knows that they will not be in the same space as their attacker. It’s safe to get the client in a separate area, away from their attacker compared to being in the same space as them. The nurse must document the incident as well.

Documentation includes the time of the event, how the patient reacted, and signs and symptoms of physical abuse spotted. American nurse today states that “your documentation may be used in court if charges are brought against the abuser” (American Nurse Today, 2018, para. 19). This means If the nurse has to appear in court because of the event, the nurse must have proof of the abuse to testify her case. The healthcare provider must also report the incident. Always inform your supervisor about theevent if you suspect your client is an abuse victim. The College of Nurses will investigate the incident to make sure this does not happen again to other seniors in society.

American Nurse Today states “Healthcare professionals who don’t report abuse also may risk professional disciplinary action, including losing professional licenses.” (American Nurse Today, 2018, para. 21). This means that as a healthcare provider, it is your responsibility to report something if it is wrong. Reporting the incident can help assure people that there is elder abuse occurring and it needs to stop. Elder abuse can take place inside a variety of settings such as nursing homes, public because you wouldn’t want the same incident happening to someone you know. I still need to learn about government laws regarding the criminal charges for committing the crime. I want to learn about the punishment of losing your license if you are abusing clients. In conclusion, the mistreatment of seniors is wrong, and people need to take a stance on the appropriate guidelines to protect seniors from being harmed.