Elder Abusers – Society’s Dilemma
By Andrew Chadwick
How should society deals with proven elder abusers?
Let us first look at some definition and types of elder abuse.
What is elder abuse and neglect?
Elder Abuse and Neglect is a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust,which causes harm or distress to an older person. It can be of various forms:
physical, psychological/emotional, sexual, or financial/material abuse, and/or intentional or unintentional neglect.
( Definition from Toronto Declaration on the Global Prevention of Elder Abuse, 2002)
How should we deal with elder abusers?
If a respectable member of a community has been found, through irrefutable evidence, to be an elder abuser; can we then excuse the person because he/she is an excellent judge, lawyer, doctor psychologist, managers etc?
Or, are we to discount the ‘irrefutable evidence’ as ‘false’ because we just cannot accept that such a person is capable of doing the unthinkable ‘crime’?
These questions are posed because it seems that many elder abuse cases, especially those that did not hit the headlines of major media outlets, are ignored; for the the following reasons:
- that the elder abusers are holding respectable jobs!
- Disbelief: “They couldn’t have done that.” I know the person well.
- It’s just family dynamics, we cannot interfere.
We should really ask ourselves that question again.
Are we to excuse or ignore elder abusers because of their positions in society?
Clever Elder Abusers Do Not Leave Evidence.
They abuse their elderly parents or close family members, in such a way that the are no obvious signs of the abuse. How do we detect emotional, psychological abuse and neglect?
How do we deal with inactions or neglect by family member(s) that led to distress and mental anguish of the victim for a lengthy period? (e.g the Frank Punito Case)
Then again, even if there were clear evidence; the victim of this kind of elder abuse often remain in the abusive situations, because:
- They are ashamed that their “own flesh and blood” can do that to them.
- The victims are afraid to speak up because they are afraid that it might give the abusers an excuse to put them in a nursing home.
- They are afraid that they will lose all contact with the abuser, a close family member.
Even if they reported the abuse, what can we do?
The questions posed here are not easy to answer. It took a long, long time before society acted on the prevention child abuse and put in place various services to assist the victims. Victims of child abuse are often given counselling and therapy to help them cope with the trauma of child abuse.
In cases of elder abuse, where there are no such services to help the victims, how do they recover from the trauma and life-destroying experience of elder abuse?
For many victims of elder abuses, there can never be "recovery"; as their early demise will see to that. Therefore, the is no justice for them no matter what happen to the abusers.
Action from society? "Put the issue into the "too-hard-basket"!
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I will be posting some cases of elder abuse 'that did not hit the headlines', shortly. Visitors to this site can then judge for themselves, and may be join me in seeking more assistance for those victims.
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