Elder Abuse: Awareness, Detection and Intervention (Malaysia)

Throw momma from the train
AGE WELL
By DR ESTHER G. EBENEZER
Sunday August 10, 2008

Abuse comes in many forms, and one of the most unrecognised is elder abuse.
ELDER abuse exists in our society, but it is hardly ever reported. This can cause serious adverse effects on the health and quality of life of the elderly.

The problem often remains undetected because of poor public awareness and lack of knowledge among healthcare personnel. We need to be aware of the many faces of elder abuse in our own society - perhaps in the broader context of domestic violence.

.....although elderly abuse does exist in our society, it remains a subtle and usually untold suffering among older persons. This could be due to lack of awareness in the existence of this phenomenon in our culture. In general the subject of elderly abuse is the least investigated and is given little importance.

This article aims to highlight ways to identify elder abuse and to improve its awareness among Malaysians of all walks of life. It addresses the definition, characteristics of the abused elderly and their abusers as well strategies to detect and manage the problem.

Detection of elder abuse

Any suspected victim of elder abuse should be interviewed alone to avoid intimidation by the presence of the alleged abuser.

Disease-specific support groups like the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM) or Alzheimer’s Care Centre (ACC), Stroke Centre can be a useful outlet for caregivers caring for their disabled elderly. Such services should be expanded throughout the country to endow caregivers with health education and coping strategies.

Until today, we do not have any mandatory reporting laws that require practitioners to report suspected elder abuse to an agency. Leaders in healthcare could make a move to educate the healthcare providers and the public on elder care.
Last but not least, establishing a legislative “Elder Protective Act” is warranted to protect our vulnerable elderly from untold suffering. They have the right to live with dignity and security. We are committed to develop such services and formulate policies against elder abuse in Malaysia.

Abridged
SOURCE: The Star Malaysia
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