Elder Law

Study Finds Family Members Likely to Abuse Elderly

By Levin & Perconti

After surveying adult tending to relatives with dementia concluded that elder abuse should be viewed as a ?spectrum of behaviors rather than all-or-nothing phenomenon.? Also, the survey exposes an old myth that is untrue ? that abuse of elders happens at the hands of paid caregivers and not family members. The study found that more than half of the family caregivers reported having engaged in some elderly abusive behavior. This includes screaming, insulting or cursing directed at the person in their care. More than a quarter of the respondents had ?at least sometimes? screamed or yelled at their cognitively impaired relatives. Even 1.4 percent admitted that they had engaged in significant physical abuse. A professor stated that any strategy for protecting this helpless group ?must be directed toward families who provide a majority of care for older people, rather than exclusively paid caregivers. To read more about elderly abuse, click here.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on February 06, 2009 (boomark / email).