Elder Abuse and Neglect: Considerations for Mental Health Practitioners

✍ Scribed by Heather Thompson; Ronnie Priest

• Publisher: American Counseling Association
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 804 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1524-6817
• DOI: 10.1002/j.2161-0029.2005.tb00125.x

✦ Synopsis

Elder abuse and neglect are prevalent throughout the U.S. and are often unrecognized and untreated. It is projected that by the year 2030, the number of older adults (age GO and older) will double, thereby increasing the likelihood that mental health practitioners will encounter instances of elder abuse and neglect. The authors address the symptoms, risk factors,

consequences, current Laws, interventions, and relevant prevention strategies related to these issues.

Elder abuse is, unfortunately, a devastating and largely unrecognized problem in the United States. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA;1998), more than 550,000 persons, older than 60 years of age, experience abuse and neglect in domestic settings. Moreover, approximately 84% of intidences go unreported (Levine, 2003). Many older victims of abuse decide not to disclose mistreatment because they fear abandonment, institutionalization, and severe repercussions from the abuser (Cyphers, 1999). A significant number of older adults are also unaware of available services, and in some communities, services are virtually nonexistent (Welfel, Danzinger, & Santoro, 2000).

It is reasonable to surmise thar mental health practitioners will encounter elder abuse and neglect because the population of older persons is steadily growing and people are living longer. Nevertheless, practitioners are rarely trained to recognize the signs of abuse and neglect, and many practitioners lack current knowledge on the appropriate response, treatment, and/or prevention of elder abuse (Schwiebert, Myers, & Dice, 2000;Welfel et al., 2000). Consequently, the purpose of this article is to alert mental health practitioners to the scope of the problem, potential causes, symptoms, risk factors, and consequences of elder abuse and neglect. Current laws, interventions, and preventions regarding elder abuse are addressed.