Definition Of Abuse And Neglect Of The Elderly

Elder abuse also called elder mistreatment senior abuse abuse in later life abuse of older adults abuse of older women and abuse of older men 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.

Definition of abuse and neglect of the elderly. Alone more than half a million reports of elder abuse reach authorities every year and millions more cases go unreported. What is elder abuse and neglect. Elder abuse includes physical emotional or sexual harm inflicted upon an older adult their financial exploitation or neglect of their welfare by people who are directly responsible for their care. In australia elder abuse is typically defined as involving a form of mistreatment of an older person that occurs within a relationship where there is an expectation of trust alrc 2017.

In the toronto declaration who defines elder abuse as a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which cause harm or distress to an older person 5 p 3. Neglect means any failure to provide necessary care assistance guidance or attention to an adult that causes or is reasonably likely to cause within a short period of time the adult serious physical mental or emotional harm or substantial financial damage or loss to the adult and includes self neglect. Neglect is a relatively common form of elder abuse because older adults have a higher prevalence of medical conditions and functional limitations that render them vulnerable to neglect. Elder abuse is defined as abuse may be defined as any act or failure to act which results in a breach of a vulnerable person s human rights civil liberties physical and mental integrity dignity or general well being whether intended or through negligence including sexual relationships or financial transactions to which the person does not or cannot validly consent or which are deliberately exploitative.

It can be in a range of forms including physical psychological sexual financial or social abuse and neglect. These comprehensive definitions capture physical mental emotional sexual and financial abuse as well as neglect and self neglect. Elder abuse can take various forms such as financial physical psychological and sexual. It may be intentional elder neglect may be intentional such as when a family member chooses to withhold food or medicine from an older person.