Elder Abuse Research Paper

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Abuse of the Elderly 1 Running head: ELDERLY ABUSE The Background of Elderly Abuse Shayla D. Green Wayne County Community College Abuse of the Elderly 2 Abstract Elder abuse is defined as intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm to an elder person There are many different forms of elder abuse that exist, including, physical, sexual, psychological, financial and neglect. Abuse of the Elderly 3 The Background of Elderly Abuse In today's society, abuse is something that affects the lives of many individuals, whether they experience it first hand or not. According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary (2009), abuse is defined as improper or excessive use or treatment. When…show more content…
Her testimony prompted the House Select Committee on Aging, chaired by the late U.S. Representative Claude Pepper, to further examine the mistreatment of the elderly. The "Pepper Committee" subsequently introduced the term "elder abuse," and alerted the nation to the widespread severity of this problem (Pennsylvania Attorney General's Family Violence Task Force Report, 1988). This was an important step towards recognizing elder abuse. After the examination, the term “elderly abuse” was first introduced. Generally, elder abuse has been defined as intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm (whether or not harm is intended) to a vulnerable older person by a caregiver or other person who stands in a trust relationship to the older person or failure by a caregiver to satisfy the older persons' basic needs or to protect to older persons from harm (Dyer, Fulmer, Guadagno,…show more content…
The National Association of Social Workers (2006) define the types of abuse as follows: Physical abuse is defined as the use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment. It may include, but is not limited to, such acts of violence as striking (with or without an object), hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, shaking, slapping, kicking, pinching, and burning. In addition, it may also include the inappropriate use of drugs and physical restraints, force-feeding, and physical
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