Quiz

Elder abuse is underreported because older people, family members and professionals lack awareness and don’t understand the signs and symptoms of abuse.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • TRUE
    Elder abuse and mistreatment is underreported by family, friends and professionals for a variety of reasons that include (but are not limited to) a lack of: awareness that behavior is abusive, familiarity about signs or symptoms of abuse, knowledge about how or where to report, confidence to make a report when abuse is suspected. Reasons why victims often stay silent include: dependency on abuser(s), fear of consequences, family secrecy, self blame and shame. Abuse and mistreatment of older adults is a complex situation that needs increased awareness, knowledge, understanding and multifaceted prevention interventions.

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Factors that contribute to the abuse and mistreatment of older people include health changes in either the victim or abuser.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • TRUE
    Older people experiencing health changes due to chronic illness or injury are more vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and mistreatment as a result of cognitive and functional limitations imposed by their medical conditions. People who act abusively, exploit or mistreat older people often have a substance abuse problem and may face health challenges of their own (e.g., depression, persistent pain).

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A “red flag” that may indicate financial abuse is when a family member manages an older adult’s money.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • TRUE
    Many older people request and benefit from the help from family members in managing finances and paying bills. “Red flags” for financial abuse and exploitation include: unusual spending patterns, money disappearing from accounts with no explanation, sudden inability to meet monthly obligations, increased activity on credit cards, unexpected change in lifestyle of family members, names unexpected added to accounts, inappropriate transfer of ownership of personal property. For more information you might find the following websites to be helpful: Elder Financial Abuse and the National Center on Elder Abuse Factsheets and Publications.

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Elder abuse is a problem that most often occurs in ‘bad’ neighborhoods and rarely is an issue in more affluent neighborhoods.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • FALSE
    Elder abuse happens regardless of gender, race, neighborhood, and socioeconomic status.

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The most common type of elder abuse is physical abuse referring to using force which results in bodily injury.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • FALSE
    Approximately 50% of abuse involves self-neglect followed by financial exploitation.

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Caregivers may deprive elders of needed care to make them more compliant.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • TRUE
    According to a 2008 article in Aging Today (Sept-Oct. edition) Trust Betrayed: One Elder's Fight Against Financial Abuse, "Caregivers may deprive elders of needed care to make them more compliant or susceptible to undue influence, or they may attend to hasten the elder’s death if they stand to benefit financially." Another concern is adult children depriving their aging parents in order to meet their personal obligations and/or enhance their inheritance. Multiple articles in recent year have referenced the term "waiter" referring to an adult child who is up to his or her elbows in debt and waiting for, and counting on, an inheritance to bail him or her out. Unfortunately, such people are often the ones who take measures to deny their parents of luxuries such as a new car, dinners out, travel and more; for every dollar a parent spends on him/herself, one less dollar remains to be inherited.

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Living arrangements are a significant risk factor for abuse because older adults living alone or otherwise isolated have been found to be at risk for abuse and exploitation.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • TRUE
    In 2006, approximately 30% of community dwelling older people lived alone according to the Administration on Aging (AOA). Of the 10.7 million older adults living alone, it is estimated that 7.8 million were women and 2.9 million were men, representing 38.4% of all older women and 19.4% of all older men. The proportion of older people living alone increases with advanced age. Among community dwelling women aged 75+, approximately half lived alone while just under one-third lived with a spouse. Living arrangements are a significant risk factor for abuse because older people living alone or otherwise isolated have been found to be at increased risk for abuse and exploitation.

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Older women are most likely to be victims of abuse and abusers are frequently adult men.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • TRUE
    According to a recent MetLife report, “Women were nearly twice as likely to be victims of elder financial abuse as men.” Also, “Nearly 60% of perpetrators were males. Most male perpetrators were between the ages of 30 and 59, while most of the female perpetrators were between the ages of 30 and 49. Perpetrators who were strangers often targeted victims with visible vulnerabilities (e.g., limited mobility, displays of confusion, or living alone).”

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Each year, older people are exploited to the tune of $2.9 billion dollars.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • TRUE
    The annual financial loss by victims of elder financial abuse is estimated to be at least $2.9 billion dollars, a 12% increase from the $2.6 billion estimated in 2008.

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Older people who find themselves being abused and exploited are eager to get help so the mistreatment stops.

• TRUE or FALSE

  • FALSE
    Older people who encounter abuse face many barriers to disclosure. “Obstacles to disclosure include diminished capacity to comprehend, ignorance of the law, or cultural differences… Additional barriers to disclosure and help-seeking behavior include fear of being placed in a care facility, sociocultural norms that dissuade the involvement of outsiders in family issues, and a belief that there is little that the police or social agencies can do to help.” Donovan, K., & Regehr, C. (2010). P. 175. Other reasons victims do not do anything to stop the abuse including:

    • Don’t know where to turn, who to call for help
    • Don’t realize or are unwilling to admit they are being abused.
    • Lack of understanding about situation and alternatives
    • Fear the abuse will only get worse
    • Fear of consequences (e.g., nursing home placement, being forced to move)
    • Self blame
    • Family secrecy
    • Lifelong pattern (they don’t know anything different)
    • Fear of being alone (any attention is better than no attention)

     

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