Elder abuse may emerge anywhere, spanning socioeconomic, political, and cultural divides. It was once regarded as a social issue, but at the moment, health policy, social care, wellness, legal, and criminal law aspects are all taken into consideration. In terms of the public’s perception of elder abuse, it is feasible to state that the opinions and problems among the general society differ from, for example, the specialists within the field of healthcare. As the study sufficiently illustrates, healthcare workers’ understanding and perception of elder abuse remain at a low rate, particularly concerning the reporting procedures for elder abuse (Inelmen, 2019). Concerning current perspectives, elder abuse can become a major social, health, and legal issue with the probability of enhancing its scope of negative influence.
Comparing the historical and current perspectives of the concern, it is feasible to state that the differences between the concepts are connected to the forms and intensity of responses to the issue by governments and societies. Basic data regarding elder abuse, including the proportion of older individuals affected and the forms of maltreatment, have historically been lacking for regulatory agencies, caregivers, and scholars (Shankardass, 2018). Considering similarities, both historical and current perspectives describe and define elder abuse and maltreatment utilizing common and generalized terms, actions, and types of conduct.
Referring to potential improvements in the public perception of the issue, it is possible to propose several suggestions, including the processes of working with the elderly and educating them. It is generally needed to examine perceptions regarding ageism and judgments of elder abuse and neglect in professional and working organizations that might be sources of aid and encouragement for the elderly. The elderly, carers, and relatives must engage in educational activities on aging and the seniors to increase the elderly’s knowledge of abuse, maltreatment, and neglect (Yi & Hohashi, 2018). Additionally, required the development of national regulations and investigations to identify and eliminate abuse.
References
Inelmen, E. M., Sergi, G., & Manzato, E. (2019). Elder abuse: are we turning a blind eye to a crucial issue?Internal and Emergency Medicine, 14(4), 503-505.
Shankardass, M. K. (2018). Perspectives on abuse and neglect of the elderly in India.Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly in India, 19-27.
Yi, Q., & Hohashi, N. (2018). Comparison of perceptions of domestic elder abuse among healthcare workers based on the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) model.PLoS One, 13(11), e0206640.