The Hidden Epidemic of Elder Abuse at Nursing Facilities and at Home

"If you had told me a couple years ago what my sister was doing to her own mother, I wouldn't have believed you," Richard Hartman, a retired warehouse supervisor states.

At the time, Richard's mother was experiencing diverse forms of elder abuse. Once an unspoken taboo in American culture, the abuse of senior citizens is now a topic that is capturing increased public attention.

The abuse of senior citizens in an institutional or nursing home environment has been reported for a number of years. However, with the increased average age of the population, over 90% of the elderly who need care live in their homes or with a family member.

Abuse is defined as the intentional mistreatment of one person by another. The United States estimates that over 1.5 million senior citizens are abused, mistreated or victimized by family members, friends, caregivers or others they may come in contact with each year. Although those with physical or mental disabilities are more vulnerable, any elderly person is at potential risk.

From physical or emotional abuse to financial mismanagement or neglect, elder abuse comes in many different guises. The common result leaves the victim feeling worthless, alone or guilty.

Physical abuse (i.e., hitting, biting, pushing or other forced contact) can be considered the most extreme form of mistreatment. Elders who are victims of this kind of abusive behavior experience depression or sudden mood swings. Their physical appearance may be an indication of an abusive situation. An abused senior may have unexplained cuts, bruises, fractures or burn marks on his or her body. There are other forms of physical abuse. These are not so easily noticed. A caregiver might be over or under-medicating a senior, for example, or forcibly confining him or her to a single area.

One does not need to have physical contact with a senior in order to abuse them. Emotional, mental or psychological abuse occurs when the senior is ridiculed, threatened, humiliated or treated in a demeaning manner. Even the malicious destruction of an elder's belongings can be considered a form of emotional abuse.