Elder Abuse

Some elders are being abused by their family members such as Mickey Rooney, an actor; however, they do not want to report to authorities because they are afraid of being put in nursing homes somewhere for the rest of their lives (Amy Noonan, “Elderly Take Stand”).  According to the American Psychological Association, about 2.1 million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological, or other forms of abuse and neglect each year.  For example, an 85-year-old woman name Agnes was abused by her daughter Emily; she was slapped and yelled at by her daughter for destroying her daughter’s life because her daughter had to take care of her.  Another example is James, a 90-year-old man who was financially abused by his daughter Lorraine; she persuaded him to let her take over his bank accounts in order for her to take care of James.  Not only the elders are abused by their family member, they are also abused by the nurses.  For instance, Madeline, a 75-year-old woman, was ignored and snapped at by her nurse.  Hence, these elders need someone to care for them, not to take advantage of them.