Geriatric Physical and Emotional Abuse and Neglect by Staff Members in Institutionalized Facilities

Date

2021

Authors

Smith, Jensen

Access rights

Worldwide access

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Abstract

Elder abuse and neglect are recently recognized as a pertinent and growing issue within United States’ institutional facilities. This thesis aims to provide an accessible resource for any individual, medical or non-medical, to understand how to recognize this abuse and what can help prevent it. The physical abuse discussed will include all forms of physical abuse, including sexual abuse and neglect. With physical abuse, visible injuries can be documented, providing more reliable evidence for legal cases. However, psychological abuse is harder to detect and record due to similarities in its symptoms with behavior that can come with age alone, especially withdrawal, depression, and aggression. Through case reports, legal evidence, and facility reporting, the research found that many healthcare workers lack adequate training, and the institutions lack proper resources. The preliminary investigation found many articles to outline abuse and its relative signs; however, a national survey has not been conducted to analyze both community and institutional geriatric patients who have experienced abuse. Therefore, this gap leaves a relative dearth of comprehensive data. Future research should conduct more wide-scale studies and census reporting of elder abuse and neglect in the United States to gather more accurate and current data.

Description

Keywords

Geriatric., Physical Abuse., Emotional Abuse., Neglect., Institutional facilities., United States.

Citation