Facts About Elder Abuse - Types of Abuse and the Signs
Elder abuse is a general term used to
describe certain types of harm to older
adults and is defined as “a single or repeat
ed act or lack of appropriate action occur
ring within any relationship where there is
an expectation of trust which causes harm
or distress to an older person."
It often includes harm by people the
older person knows or with whom they
have a relationship.
An abuser can be a spouse, partner,
relative, friend, neighbor or a paid worker.
The majority of abusers are relatives,
typically the spouse/partner or sons and
daughters, although the type of abuse dif
fers according to the relationship.
In some cases the older abuser be
comes the older victim and the younger
victim becomes the younger abuser. With
sons and daughters it can be financial
abuse, justified by a belief that it’s noth
ing more than the “advance inheritance”
of property or money.
Within paid care environments, abuse
can be inflicted by a single individual
upon an older person or as a consequence
of lack of knowledge or training.
In the United States:
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1 million to 2 million Americans
age 65 or older have been injured,
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someone on whom they depended for
care or protection.
Frequency of elder abuse ranges from
2 percent to 10 percent.
One in 14 incidents, excluding inci
dents of self-neglect, comes to the
attention of authorities.
It’s estimated that for every one case
of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation
or self-neglect reported to authorities,
about five more go unreported.
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An older person who is being
abused:
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Physical: Hitting, burning, push
ing, kicking, restraining or giving
too much medication or the wrong
medication
Psychological/Emotional: Shouting,
swearing, frightening, ridiculing,
ignoring or humiliating a person
Financial: Illegal or unauthorized use
of a person’s property, money, pen
sion book or other items
Sexual: Forcing a person to take part
in any sexual activity without his or
her consent
Neglect: Depriving a person of food,
heat, clothing, comfort or essential
medication
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May seem depressed and withdrawn
Refuses invitations to spend time away
from their family or a caregiver
Seems afraid to make their own
decisions
Seems to be hiding something about
a caregiver
Never seems to have any spending
money
May put off going to the doctor
Seems to have too many household
“accidents”
Sustenance (food or water)
Cleanliness (bathing and personal
hygiene)
Adequate clothing for climate
protection
Proper shelter
Adequate safety
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Signs of Elder Abuse
There are many types of abuse,
including:
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Abandonment: Deserting an elderly,
dependent person with the intent to
abandon them or leave them unat
tended at a place for such a time
period that is likely to endanger their
health or welfare
Clean and healthy surroundings
Medical attention for serious illness
Essential medications
Elders may choose to deny them
selves some health or safety benefits,
which may not be self-neglect. This may
simply be their personal choice. Care
givers and other responsible individuals
must honor these choices if the senior is
sound of mind.
Elder abuse is a real and unfortunately
common event that is not tolerable on a
moral or legal basis. To report suspected
elder abuse, neglect or exploitation oc
curring in the home or in long-term care
facilities in Oregon - 800-232-3020
Elders can abuse/neglect themselves
by not caring about their own personal
health and well-being. Elder self-neglect
can lead to illness, injury or even death.
Common needs that seniors may deny
themselves or ignore include:
Additionally, the Siletz Commu
nity Health Clinic’s health care team and
Community Health Department have re
sources for you. Please call 541 -444-1030
or 800-648-0449 if you need help.
Oct. 20 is World Osteoporosis Day: Know Your Risk
By Lindy Taylor, MD
Osteoporosis is known as thinning or weakening of the bones, a condition that makes a person more susceptible to broken bones.
Osteoporosis affects 1 out of 3 women and 1 out of 5 men age 50 and older.
In the United States today, 10 million people already have osteoporosis and 34 million more have low bone mass
Osteoporosis is a silent and progres
sive disease, often diagnosed only after a
person has broken a bone. This is espe
cially true for men, who can easily be over
looked as being at risk for the disease.
The most common bones affected
by osteoporosis are the spine, hips and
wrists. Bones are made of living tissue
that is constantly breaking itself down
and rebuilding itself back up.
We reach our highest bone mass in
our late 20s. From childhood through
our 20s is the best time to ensure that our
bones are strong and healthy with diet and
plenty of physical activity.
Mom is right - ‘Drink your milk, it
is good for your bones.”
Milk contains calcium, the building
block of our bones. We get vitamin D
from the sun and some whole milk
products. Other essential vitamins for
bone growth, such as phosphorus, come
from eating a balanced diet that includes
fresh vegetables.
Dairy products are an excellent
source of calcium; however, they also
contain many calories, so it’s important
to pick the best way for you to provide
your body with calcium, either through
food, vitamin supplements or a combina
tion of both.
Around age 40, the bone breakdown
process becomes more intense, resulting
in a slow decline in bone mass. When
women reach menopause they stop pro
ducing estrogen, which increases bone
loss even faster. The same is true for men
as they age, without such an extreme drop
off with the loss of hormones unless they
suffer from low testosterone.
Risk factors for osteoporosis include
a family history of osteoporosis, a history
of broken bones, low physical activity,
smoking, alcohol intake, long-term use of
seizure medication or steroids, various nu
tritional disorders, menopause, being age
60 or older and men with hypogonadism.
Osteoporosis is a preventable
and treatable disease.
Osteopenia and osteoporosis are
detected by a dexascan, a special X-ray
of the bones that compares your bone
strength or density to others your age.
With this measurement, you are given a
score called a T-score that helps assess
your risk of getting a fracture and helps
guide medical intervention.
A hip fracture can have devastating
consequences for individuals age 65 and
older. Studies show:
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Up to 25 percent of elders suffering
a hip fracture can die in the first year
after the fracture.
Up to 40 percent can lose their ability
to walk independently.
Up to 33 percent are totally dependent
or in a nursing home in the year fol
lowing a hip fracture.
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Fall Prevention. Men and women
with osteoporosis need to take care not to
fall down. Some reasons people fall are
poor vision, poor balance, diseases that
affect your gait or the way you walk and
medications such as sleeping pills. Tips to
help prevent falls outdoors are:
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Use a cane or walker.
Wear rubber-soled shoes so you
don’t slip.
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Walk on grass when sidewalks are
slippery.
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In winter, put salt or kitty litter on icy
sidewalks.
Some ways to help prevent falls in
doors are:
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Keep rooms free of clutter, especially
on floors.
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Use plastic or carpet runners on slip
pery floors.
Wear low-heeled shoes and do not
walk in socks, stockings or slippers.
Be sure carpets and area rugs have skid
proof backs or are tacked to the floor.
Be sure stairs are well-lit and have
rails on both sides.
Put grab bars on bathroom walls near
tub, shower and toilet.
Use a rubber bath mat in the shower
or tub.
Keep a flashlight next to your bed.
Use a sturdy step-stool with a handrail
and wide steps.
Add more lights in rooms.
Buy a cordless phone to keep with you
so you don’t have to rush to the phone.
Through the Elders Safety Program,
we will come to your house to help you
assess your rugs, toilet grab bars, shower
and tub safety, etc.
For those at risk for osteoporosis, your
provider may order special X-rays or labs.
If you are interested in being screened, we
will hold a screening in October.
Please call the Community Health
Department with any questions at 541-
444-9633 or 800-648-0449, ext. 1633.
October 2009
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Siletz News
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