by Wayne Campbell
The world is ageing rapidly. The United Nations (UN) states that by 2050, 1 in every 6 people will be aged 65 or over, increasing the vulnerability experienced by older persons to violence.
Elder abuse can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences.
Contrary to popular belief, elder abuse is not confined to elders who are institutionalised. Disturbingly, many older persons are also abused in their own homes. Abuse often is not physical, since it is more readily observed by family members and healthcare professionals. Abuses of elders frequently take the form of psychological ill-treatment. In many instances, those who work with elders are not paid well. In fact, many are not trained to work with older persons. Elder abuse can also take the form of financial mismanagement of the resources of older persons.
In some societies, elders are revered and respected. On the other hand, there are societies where older persons are seen as a burden and a bother. Sadly, once this mindset takes hold, rest assured, elder abuse will be present. It can be difficult to care for older persons. This herculean task takes an emotional toll on the caregiver in all facets of his/her life. In many cases, sufficient resources are unavailable to provide the basic level of care. Too often, the caregiver is the invisible factor in this narrative. A World Health Organisation (WHO)-supported study revealed that nearly 64% of institutional staff admitted to abusive behaviour in the previous year, highlighting the urgent need for systemic change.
This year’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) will focus on the abuse of older adults in long-term care facilities. Institutional care is a reality for many. As the need for institutional care grows with global ageing, so do concerns about safeguarding the rights, safety, and dignity of residents, which is of utmost importance.
With a global ageing population and increasing reliance on institutional care, ensuring residents’ safety and dignity is more urgent than ever.
What is elder abuse?
Elder abuse can be financial, emotional, physical, and sexual. It also includes people who are neglected and those who neglect themselves (self-neglect). Social isolation, financial or emotional stress, and dementia can make a senior vulnerable to abuse. The consequences of elder abuse are grave: older adults who are abused are twice as likely to be hospitalised, four times as likely to go into nursing homes, and three times as likely to die. While studies show that 60% of abusers are family members, abuse can happen in any setting: in the older adult’s own home or a senior living community. Between 1 million and 2 million Americans over 65 years old were injured, exploited or mistreated by someone they depended on for care or protection, according to the National Centre for Elder Abuse.
Addressing elder abuse
Approaches to define, detect and address elder abuse need to be placed within a cultural context and considered alongside culturally specific risk factors. The UN adds that in some traditional societies, older widows are subjected to forced marriages, while in others, isolated older women are accused of witchcraft. From a health and social perspective, unless both primary health care and social service sectors are well equipped to identify and deal with the problem, elder abuse will continue to be underdiagnosed and overlooked. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is observed annually on June 15th to highlight one of the worst manifestations of ageism and inequality in our society, elder abuse. The theme this year is Addressing Abuse of Older Adults in Long Term Care Facilities: Through Data and Action. Oftentimes, the signs of elder abuse are in plain sight.
Signs of Abuse
You may see signs of abuse or neglect when you visit an older adult at home or in a residential facility. An older person might be a victim of abuse if they: have unexplained pressure marks, bruises, burns, cuts, or scars, have become withdrawn or act agitated or violent, display signs of trauma such as rocking back and forth, develop preventable conditions such as bedsores (open sores that can develop when a person stays in one position for a long time, such as being confined to a bed).
Ageing policies
Population ageing is a serious social issue that requires both the intervention of the State and vested stakeholders at the table to tackle the implications concerning an ageing population. Jamaica is experiencing a significant increase in its older adult population, with the proportion of those aged 60 and over projected to reach 16.8% by 2025. Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, says Barbados has been caught “unprepared” by the country’s approach to “super-aged” status and is now racing to deal with the new status. He cited data from the most recent census and noted that approximately 20% of Barbados’ population is already over the age of 65, just one percentage point shy of the 21% threshold used internationally to define a “super-aged” society.
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 indicated that in 2023, 18% of Trinidad and Tobago’s population was aged 60 and over. The data for Guyana indicates that 7.7% of the population by 2025 will be 60 years and over. In 2024, people over 65 years of age accounted for 11.9% of the total population of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
In many parts of the world, elder abuse occurs with little recognition or response. Regrettably, elder abuse is mostly considered a private matter. Even today, elder abuse continues to be a taboo, mostly underestimated and ignored by societies across the world. With increasing numbers of older persons, all Caribbean countries have undertaken pension reforms to restore the sustainability of contributory public pension schemes.
Realising the rights of older persons depends on achieving the goals contained in the Madrid Plan, the Plan of Action for the Decade of Healthy Ageing, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include universal and sustainable pension and social protection systems, universal health and social care, and protection against discrimination and abuse.
In the words of AJ Heschel, to care for anyone else enough to make their problems one’s own is the beginning of one’s real humanity.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
