American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [72]
Elder Abuse
Experts estimate that more than 450,000 older Americans living at home are abused or neglected every year. People age 80 or older experience abuse and neglect two to three times more often than younger people, and older women are abused more often than older men. Two thirds of all abusers of the elderly are their adult children or spouses. The most common forms of elder abuse include:
• Neglect Failure to provide or pay for care, shelter, or other necessities for an older person.
• Emotional abuse The use of insults, threats, humiliation, social isolation, or verbal assaults to inflict emotional pain.
• Physical abuse The use of physical force to inflict pain, injury, or impairment.
• Abandonment Desertion of an older person at a hospital, nursing home, shopping center, or other public location by a caregiver.
• Financial exploitation Personal use of an older person’s financial resources by a caregiver.
• Sexual abuse Any kind of nonconsensual sexual contact with an older person, as well as taking sexually explicit photographs.
Signs of elder abuse can vary widely, ranging from bruises or broken bones and untreated bedsores to sudden changes to a will or bank account. Older people and their caregivers share a complex relationship in which the caregiver has power over the person’s basic needs. This power can easily deteriorate into control or coercion, especially when family members are not equipped to handle the role of caregiver, are under extreme stress, or have personal problems such as substance abuse or emotional disorders.
If you provide care for an older person and you feel that you cannot handle your caregiving responsibilities, talk to the person’s doctor or to a social worker at your local hospital. They can refer you to community resources, such as respite care, that can provide needed help. If you suspect an older person might be a victim of neglect or abuse, call your local police department, your local public health department, or your state or local area agency on aging.
Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is any type of forced or nonconsensual sexual contact, including rape and forced touching or fondling. Rape is a crime of violence and aggression during which an offender (usually a man) forces a victim (usually a woman) to have sexual intercourse as a way of expressing dominance and control. Women are more likely to be raped by someone they know—a friend, a boyfriend, a date, or a neighbor—than by a stranger.
Do what you can to help people who have been victims of sexual assault. Work with others to prevent future sexual assaults. For example, ask your neighborhood group, school, employer, church, or library to sponsor a talk on rape prevention. Volunteer your time at a rape crisis center.
Protecting Yourself From Sexual Assault
To protect yourself from sexual assault—by someone you know or by a stranger—take the following precautions:
• Take self-defense classes.
• Set clear limits in your romantic relationships.
• Understand that sexually provocative actions and dress could invite unwanted attention.
• Don’t let alcohol or other drugs impair your judgment.
• If a situation makes you feel uncomfortable, leave.
• When walking, be aware of your surroundings.
• At home, keep doors and windows locked, especially at night. Install a peephole in your front door. Never open the door to strangers.
• Check the identification of all service people before allowing them into your home. Don’t admit anyone with whom you have not made an appointment in advance.
• Be vigilant in isolated areas such as apartment building laundry rooms, parking lots and garages, and your workplace after hours.
• Don’t walk or jog alone in deserted areas or at night.
• Have your key ready as you approach your door or car.
• Park in well-lighted areas and check the