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The most common definition of elder abuse is as follows: elder abuse is any harm done to an older person that is violent or abusive. Elder abuse is often a crime. The abuse can be caused by a family member, a friend, staff in a group residential setting such as rest and retirement home, and in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, homes for the aged, public or chronic care hospitals, or anyone the older person relies on for basic needs. Abuse often involves intent; neglect related to lack of knowledge of available resources, exploitation was based on greed and desire to control. Elaine Scott of the family violence prevention division of health and welfare Canada noted that; “There is no universal agreement on what constitutes elder abuse and the absence of a uniformed definition has hindered research in the area. The term elder abuse is generally interpreted to mean harm caused to an adult who is vulnerable primarily due to age. The abuse is not limited to physical harm but also includes psychological abuse, financial or material exploitation and neglect of health and personal needs” (Elaine Scott, Health and Welfare Canada, presentation to the sub-committees February 2nd, 1993, p.1-2). Elder abuse can also be as an act. It can be committed or omitted by another person that results in harm to or jeopardize the well-being or safety of an older person. The four major categories of abuse that are most common are physical, psychological, material or financial and neglect. Physical abuse includes the willful, direct infliction of physical pain or injury, rough handling, shoving, slapping, pinching, hitting, kicking, restriction of freedom or movement, and sexual abuse. Psychological abuse refers to socially isolating, threatening, yelling at, or withholding affection or denying privileges to a person. Financial or material exploitation involves the theft or conversion of money or objects of value belonging to the senior by a relative or caregiver. Neglect involves failing to provide the necessities of life, including adequate heat, clothing, hygienic conditions and the denial of social interactions. The majority of abusers are family members. They include spouses, adult children, grandchildren, siblings and other relatives. The abused are predominately female. The elderly population has more women than male. Sadly, in many cases elder abuse is spousal grown old. Older Canadians are seen as the number one priority to target for education, in ways in dealing with the abuser and not just the abused. We have resources for the abused where they can come for help and get out of the situation they are in. Many times the abusers do not see what they are doing is a problem. If the abuser is a family member, they usually see what they are doing as taking care of the elder person because they cannot take care of themselves. Therefore, they control their lives and isolate the elder from anything social. They see themselves as knowing what is best for the elder person. They will also see the elders as a nuisance and pay less attention to their needs because they have other problems, an example is a family member who is the abuser is stressed at home with kids or has financial problems and their forced to look after their parents. Even caregivers cannot always see things their doing as a form of abuse. A simple act of opening an elder persons mail without consent is a form of abuse, or pressuring him or her to sign a cheque or legal document, asking for money at every turn, neglecting physical needs, not maintaining their surroundings or even over medicating because the caregiver feels they are not getting enough. There are many social prejudices about older adults. They are often considered a social burden because they do not participate actively in economic production. This view neglects their psychosocial contribution to the community. While life expectancy has increased considerably, advancing age is accompanied by decreasing physical and intellectual power. Medical progress has extended the life span, but the final years are not always lived in good health. The Demographic forecasts points to the coming increases in the number of people over seventy-five. That is the age after which both physical and cognitive chronic diseases become more common (Potter and Perry, 1989; Neault and Poirier, 1991).
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