Running head: ISSUE DOCUMENTATION ANALYSIS FOR ELDERLY ABUSE

Issue Documentation Analysis for Elderly Abuse

Amber Harris
Indiana Wesleyan University
HMSR-340: Advocacy in Human Services
Instructor Dr. Marcia Wynn

ISSUE DOCUMENTATION ANALYSIS FOR ELDERLY ABUSE

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My issue of concern is the physical, psychological and other forms of abuse and neglect
toward the elderly in the Nursing Homes and hospital. People that have abused the elderly by
turning a death ear and closing their eyes to the issue is a major concern. I believe to see and
not do anything about it is also neglect and should be a crime. Catherine Hawes is a certified
nursing assistant (CNAs) has defined abusive actions to include physical and verbal and or
psychological abuse in the Nursing Homes (Hawes et al., 2001).
Hawes identified several particular concern issues which are: aggressiveness with a
resident; rough handling; pulling too hard on a resident (Hawes et al., 2001); yelling in anger;
threats; threats; punching, slapping, kicking, hitting; and speaking in a harsh tone, cursing at
a resident, or saying harsh or mean things to a resident (Hawes et al., 2001). In the local
Nursing Home I also saw some abuse taking place and I spoke up for those residents from a
particular local center. The elderly cant bounce back when abused like may be the younger
people.

Prevalence of the problem (e.g., number of people impacted, level at which this issue
effects people around the world or in certain localities)
The prevalence of the problem for elderly abuse is widespread especially when one looks at
the number of reported and non-reported abuse. These intentional acts have impacted not
only the lives of the individual elderly but the family member as well. The prevalence of this
type of physical mistreatment was 1.6 percent, but the sad fact is that only 31 percent
reported it to the police (Philip Bulman). Catherine Hawes stated that approximately 1.6
million people live in approximately 17,000 licensed nursing homes, and another estimated
900,000 to 1 million live in an estimated 45,000 residential care facilities.

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The mistreatment of the elderly Nursing Home residence whether locally or across the
USA is a problem that has not gone away and it has spilled over within the families. In the
state of Ohio where I live have shown that during the fiscal year of 2003 (Jim Petro), stated
that with just 60 percent of the 88 counties were submitting incident data, and there were
10,346 elder abuse had reported to the APS which stands for (Adult Protective Services),
(Jim Petro).

Current Legislative or Legal Initiatives Designed to Address this Issue:

HCFA issued regulations and guidelines implementing these provisions of the OBRA 1987
legislation (Catherine Hawes). These regulations specified the following definitions: Abuse
means the willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinements, intimidation (Catherine
Hawes), or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish (Catherine
Hawes).
Neglect means failure to provide goods and services necessary to avoid physical harm,
mental anguish, or mental illness (Catherine Hawes). With both the states and locally, it is
good to know that the federal agencies is there to take the range by investigating what has
been reported and the particular Nursing Homes will be cited and or closed down.
Level of Opposition/Complication) to this Issue:
I believe the level of opposition could be a major factor especially while trying to get and
or set up a strong task force to go after the ones who is committing the abuse and or neglect
to the elderly. I also believe that there may be opposition from even the elderly themselves in
order not to make ways. By keeping your mouth close is not the answer to get results. I
firmly believe if everyone would report all incidents the abuse would be lesser.

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If this issue is resolved on a local or global level, how would you describe that outcome)?
It is said that it takes a village to raise a child, with that said; there is no doubt that if the
issue on a local or global level is resolved the outcome would be absolutely amazing on a
positive side. If the issue was even close to been resolved, people could sleep better at night
knowing that the bad or untrained persons will no longer be there. Also the ones who
intentionally harm an elderly will also be reported and hopefully gone. The Nursing Homes
positive outlook would not have to worry about been cited and or closed down for serious
abuse. I think its time for people to wake up and do the right things now by simply being the
voice right now and a different will be seen across the board. This will take a long time to get
things and people mobilized in the right place but it has to start somewhere.

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References
Elder Justice Policy Brief. (2015, May 8). Retrieved September 29, 2015, from
http://www.whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov /b
Hawes, C. (2003). Elder Abuse in Residential Long-Term Care Settings: What Is Known and
What Information Is Needed? Retrieved September 29, 2015, from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov /...
Petro, J. (2005, January 12). Retrieved September 29, 2015, from https://aging.ohio.gov
/resources/publications/eatffinal.pdf
The Prevalence of Elder Abuse | National Institute of Justice. (2010, April 15). Retrieved
September 29, 2015, from http://www.nij.gov /.../elder-abuse-prevalence.aspx