Older adults grapple with a wide range of hardships. They include loneliness and physical health problems. While most of these hardships are well understood, others have not received much attention. Elder abuse is among these problems. Despite the damaging impact that it has on older adults, elder abuse remains largely unaddressed. More worrying is that this problem is perpetrated by the very people who are expected to care for the elderly. For example, there have been reports that the staff in facilities that attend to older adults abuse their residents. The documentary An Age of Justice, Confronting Elder Abuse in America explores the reality and impact of elder abuse. This documentary is aligned with the class readings as it underscores the need for urgent interventions to be implemented across the United States.
How older adults are abandoned is among the themes that the documentary explores. The documentary presents the harrowing story of an elderly woman who lives alone and fears for her safety. The woman has suffered a number of security incidents which have forced the local law enforcement agency to intervene. It is indeed unfortunate that the woman’s experiences are not unique. As the reading made clear, across the US, thousands of older adults are neglected and uncared for (Wallace & Robertson, 2016). According to the reading, elder abuse is becoming increasingly common with neglect emerging as among the most prevalent forms of abuse. Research also confirms that many older adults are abandoned by their families and communities. For example, according to Lin (2018), when they are neglected, older adults experience adverse outcomes and the quality of their lives declines. In essence, neglect is a serious problem that the US needs to confront.
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Apart from neglect, the documentary also examines how families perpetrate abuse. This is indeed surprising given that families are expected to be in the forefront of protecting and advocating for their elderly members. According to an agent of the Protective Services agency who speaks in the documentary, there have been cases where family members strip elderly adults of their property. This confirms what the reading says about the types of abuse that older adults endure. In the reading, Wallace and Robertson (2016) lament that families are failing to fulfill their obligation of securing the wellbeing of older adults. These authors urge families to be faithful in the execution of their mandate of protecting their older members. If the US is to be successful in eliminating all forms of elder abuse, families must play a leading role.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking issue that the documentary examines is that elder abuse can lead to early death. In the documentary, a man who lost his father grieves about how abuse led to the early death of this father. This man’s story echoes those of hundreds of others who have lost their elder members to abuse. Wallace and Robertson (2016) caution that extreme forms of elder abuse can indeed result in death. They allow readers to understand that elder abuse is not a small problem. Instead, it is a serious crisis that presents significant implications. Dong et al. (2011) also echoed the concerns raised in the documentary. In their text, these scholars note that elder abuse is becoming one of the main killers of older adults. Therefore, since elder abuse can cause death, it follows that no effort should be spared in protecting older adults, particularly those who are vulnerable.
That there are particular groups of older adults who are particularly vulnerable to abuse is yet another theme that the documentary explores. For instance, the documentary notes that older adults who do not enjoy close relationships with their families are among those who are most susceptible. The documentary features an African American victim of abuse whose risk was compounded by the fact that her relationship with her daughter was strained. Essentially, the documentary suggests that when older adults do not have strong social support structures, their risk of abuse is higher. Wallace and Robertson (2016) confirm that there is variation in the level of risk to which different older adults are exposed. They give particular focus to members of the LGBT community. According to this duo, this community is severely disadvantaged and this depresses the outcomes of older adults belonging to the community. Bloemen et al (2019) and Westwood (2019) concur that being gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual makes older adults especially vulnerable to abuse. These individuals do not enjoy some of the protections available to others. For example, when an LGBT older adult is sexually abused, they are unlikely to turn to the police for health. Therefore, to tackle abuse, special effort should be committed to safeguarding vulnerable older adult populations.
Apart from shedding light on the various forms of elder abuse, the documentary also highlights some of the interventions that can be implemented to address this problem. Legislation is among these interventions. The documentary urges legislators to enact a law that would criminalize elder abuse and facilitate the adoption of solutions to respond to the plight of older adults who have experienced abuse. Wallace and Robertson (2016) endorse the calls for legislation. They recommend that existing reporting laws should be tightened to ensure that all those who perpetrate abuse face the law.
In conclusion, elder abuse remains a serious problem in the US. Every day, hundreds of older adults are subjected to various forms of abuse. Among other thing, elder abuse strips older adults of their dignity and property while accelerating their death. It is fortunate that there are some measures that the US can adopt to address the problem. Legislation is among these measures. It is important for lawmakers to introduce laws and policies which prohibit and punish elder abuse severely. Families should also play a more active role in securing older adults.
References
An age for justice: confronting elder abuse in America. (n.d). Programs for the Elderly. Retrieved October 10, 2019 from http://www.programsforelderly.com/documentary-elder-abuse-an-age-for-justice-confronting-elder-abuse-in-america.php
Bloemen, E. M., Rosen, T., LoFaso, V. M., Lasky, A., Church, S., Hall, P., Weber, T., & Clark, S. (2019). Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults’ experiences with elder abuse and neglect. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16101
Dong, X. Q., Simon, M. A., Beck, T. T., McCann, J. J., Mendes de Leon, C. F., Laumann, E., & Evans, D. A. (2011). Elder abuse and mortality: the role of psychological and social wellbeing. Gerontology, 57 (6), 549-58.
Lin, M. (2018). Elder abuse and neglect: examining caregiver characteristics and perceptions of their elderly care receiver’s under-accommodative behavior. Journal of Family Communication, 18 (4), 252-69.
Wallace, P. H., & Robertson, C. (2016). Family violence: legal, medical, and social perspectives. 8 th Edition. London: Routledge.
Westwood, S. (2019). Abuse and older lesbian, gay bisexual, and trans (LGBT) people: a commentary and research agenda. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 31 (2), 97-114.
