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Barbara Quirk: Elder abuse on rise, but so is response

Barbara Quirk  —  9/01/2008 9:37 am

It's enough to make a grown man cry.

A new study conducted at the University of Chicago concludes that nearly 13 percent of America's older adults suffer some form of abuse. Specifically, 9 percent reported they have suffered from verbal mistreatment, 3.5 percent from financial mistreatment, and 0.2 percent from physical mistreatment.

The team of researchers, headed by Edward O. Laumann, Ph.D., based their findings on interviews with more than 3,000 community-dwelling residents aged 57 to 85. "The population of the country is aging, and people now live with chronic diseases longer," Laumann said. "So it is important to understand, from a health perspective, how people are being treated as they age."

Who are these Americans who are being abused? According to the study, older adults who are physically impaired are particularly susceptible to abuse. They are 13 percent more likely to experience verbal mistreatment than those without similar handicaps. Females are nearly twice as likely to report verbal mistreatment, but no higher level of financial mistreatment, than men.

Most abused older adults report that the mistreatment was perpetrated by someone other than a member of their immediate family. More than half said the mistreating party was someone other than a spouse, parent or child, while 26 percent identified their spouse or romantic partner as the person responsible. A total of 56 percent of those who reported financial mistreatment said that someone other than a member of their immediate family was responsible.

Those are just the statistics. What this study cannot illustrate is the pain, ruin, shame and despair that are inflicted on some of our most vulnerable citizens. Our papers are full of stories of child abuse, horrific in detail. Domestic abuse is often described after someone is brutally injured or murdered. Even animal abuse is covered in the media. The dirty little secret that receives so little attention is elder abuse. An older person is seen bruised, broken or bleeding and even medical personnel, who should know better, don't question the source. Old people fall and get injured, right?

Sadly, abuse comes from many places, including fellow residents in nursing homes, personal attendants and scammers who bilk vulnerable older citizens out of millions of dollars each year. Even more tragic is the abuse that comes at the hands of family. In times of financial uncertainty, one can expect financial abuse to be on the rise. The problem is complex because the older person is often too embarrassed or ashamed to admit that a son or daughter or, God forbid, a grandchild may be abusing them in some way.

A recent survey showed that abuse is up by nearly 20 percent since 2000. Neglect and abandonment are also growing problems.

I believe this to be true. Much of this past summer, I have been working on the newest edition of the "Over 60" resource directory. I shared a desk with an administrative assistant of the Area Agency on Aging of Dane County who, among other duties, answers the agency's phone and Elder Abuse Helpline. Again and again and again I heard her transfer the call to one of the agency's caseworkers. While each conversation was strictly confidential, I could not help but wonder at the volume and the nature of those calls.

Fortunately, there seems to be a growing awareness of the problem of elder abuse. That may account for the number of calls. It is being addressed at the state level and locally I see signs in public places that ask: "Are you safe in your home?" Medical personnel are beginning to ask their patients the same question.

At the federal level, the issue is also being recognized. U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, said, "Our nation has for far too long turned its back on the shame of elder abuse."

If you are being abused or suspect someone you know is being abused, call the Elder Abuse Helpline: 261-9933.

Barbara Quirk is a Madison geriatric nurse practitioner. tandbquirk@aol.com

Barbara Quirk  —  9/01/2008 9:37 am