The Issue Of Elderly Abuse - 1957 Words

â€Å"Every year an estimated 5 million older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And that’s only part of the picture: Experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as 23 cases go unreported† (World Elder Abuse Awareness Day). The issue of elderly abuse is a growing topic in our country because it violates three specific articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Elderly abuse and neglect is an increasing age discrimination issue in the United States and violates the human rights to an adequate standard of living, equal protection under the law, and the right to be free from degrading treatment. The often neglectful and abusive caregivers take advantage of the†¦show more content†¦The caregivers of the victims may not feel that the elderly diagnosed with any type of dementia can effectively communicate their abuse to family or loved ones, making it easier to manipulate them. This is viol ating the right to an adequate standard of living because these people were being drugged in the nursing home which they considered home. The residents no longer felt safe in their living space and this is taking away the human right established in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In a study by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, Dr. Harruff evaluated this correlation, In an elderly individual, invariably there s a combination of processes -- if there s neglect, there s usually disease and neglect, he said. For patients in nursing homes, sores can mean that staffers aren t turning or moving them enough, a serious violation of accepted standards of health care. Federal data show that more than 7 percent of long-term nursing-home residents have pressure ulcers† (Lee and Thompson). If the elderly were able to defend themselves and express this abuse to others effectively, caregivers would not treat them this way because they know that they are ina dequately providing care and this is illegal.The Alzheimer’s Association also recognizes that dementia can affect communication, â€Å"People with dementia are especially vulnerable because the disease