Introduction
Older adults constitute a considerable percentage of the overall world population. There may not be a specific definition of an older adult, however it may be possible to define an elder as someone aged at least 60 or more. Some research related to older adults refers to this age (Danyoh et al., 2018). The relationships between the younger and the older populations introduce a problem of abuse and disparities between the two.
Abuse of the Elderly Population
There are multiple forms of abusive behavior that could be observed within the elderly age group, including physical, psychological, and financial abuse. According to Lacher, physical abuse involves using excessive physical force, psychological abuse refers to inflicting emotional pain, and financial abuse constitutes misusing the elder’s financial assets (2017). With older age and its biological and psychological effects on the person, an elder’s ability to counteract such actions may be affected (De Souza et al., 2019). This could potentially mean that people who are not part of the elderly population are the most likely perpetrators of abuse. Based on that, it can be deduced that the older age groups face high risks of oppression and abuse from the younger age groups.
While in most developed countries all age groups have the same fundamental rights concerning healthcare, specific disparities in outcomes may still be observed. An elder may be unable to receive medical care when its cost is too high or if they are not enrolled in special programs (Verulava et al., 2019). An aging person’s declining physical and mental health is a contributing factor to this problem, as it may potentially increase the complexity and costs of getting the necessary treatment. Moreover, the abuse perpetrators may disrupt any attempts to receive it (Lacher et al., 2017). Thus, the disparities between the younger and older populations’ abilities to get quality medical care are apparent, resulting in differing outcomes.
The social difference between the older generation and the new generation is largely provoked by the development and active use of technology. Weiss and Zhang (2020) state that “emerging evidence suggests that people not only categorize themselves and others based on age but also in terms of their generational membership” (p. 407). This is due to the fact that adults are more difficult to learn such innovations and prefer the old ways of performing functions such as communication or information retrieval. Teenagers today use social networks every day, which gives them a great advantage. However, because of this, young people differ from old people in that they face a greater risk of inequality in the future (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2017). Such inequalities can arise in education, healthcare, employment and income. Another factor showing the disparity of these generations is the difference in social assistance from the state, that is, the elderly are more privileged in this aspect.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is clear that the problem of oppression and abuse of the elderly population is present and relevant. As people acquire physical and mental disadvantages with age, they become potential targets of the younger population’s physical, psychological and financial forms of abuse. Older people face high risks of being abused in such ways, and while in most countries they have the same basic rights as the youth, disparities are still present. Older people may face difficulties while looking to get quality medical care, as their attempts may be disrupted indirectly by the higher costs of treatment or directly by perpetrators of abusive actions.
References
Danyoh, J. D., Dampson, D. G., & Dzakadzie, Y. (2018). Abuse or disabuse: Coping with elderly abuse in the Asaiman Municipality, Ghana. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Educational Sciences, 6(4), 1-12.
De Souza, I. M. B., Sakaguchi, T. F., Yuan, S. L. K., Matsutani, L. A., do EspĂrito-Santo, A. D. S., Pereira, C. A. D. B., & Marques, A. P. (2019). Prevalence of low back pain in the elderly population: a systematic review. Clinics, 74. Web.
Lacher, S., Wettstein, A., Senn, O., Rosemann, T., & Hasler, S. (2017). Types of abuse and risk factors associated with elder abuse [Doctoral dissertation, University of Zurich]. Zurich Open Repository and Archive. Web.
Verulava, T., Jorbenadze, R., Dangadze, B., & Eliava, E. (2019). Access to ambulatory medicines for the elderly in Georgia.Home Health Care Management & Practice, 31(2), 107-112. Web.
Weiss, D., & Zhang, X. (2020). Multiple sources of aging attitudes: Perceptions of age groups and generations from adolescence to old age across China, Germany, and the United States.Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 51(6), 407-423. Web.
Wilkinson, R. G., & Pickett, K. E. (2017). The enemy between us: The psychological and social costs of inequality. European Journal of Social Psychology, 47(1), 11-24. Web.