BY JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
07/02/2010
In Israel, as in many countries that no longer venerate the aged, neglect and abuse can even be fatal.
They spent nights and days caring for their children – feeding, bathing and dressing them, and nursing them back to health when they were ill. They invested a few decades in caring for others. But when elderly Israelis lose their health, strength and/or mental abilities, almost a fifth of them suffer some kind of neglect or abuse at the hands of their children, spouse or other caregiver. As many societies lose their veneration of the old, elder abuse has begun to creep in, but it was not recognized by the social welfare or law enforcement authorities until recent decades. If a country is judged by the treatment given its weakest elements, surely verbal, physical, social, psychological, financial, criminal and even sexual abuse of the aged is a black mark.
Elder abuse was among the subjects raised at the 10th annual conference of Nefesh-Israel, a voluntary organization of observant social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and others headed by Dr. Judith Guedalia and Leah Rosen. The conference was held recently at the Jerusalem Michlalah.
“Elder abuse occurs in every community and culture. It can be active or passive neglect, such as making sure the refrigerator is almost empty,” said Halperin. She presented a heartrending, 30-minute, Hebrew film made by Yohanan Veller about a serious but fictional case of elder abuse that begins happily.
Abridged
SOURCE: The Jerusalem Post
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