Alcohol and Aging by Alexis Kuerbis Alison.A. Moore Paul Sacco & Faika Zanjani

Author:Alexis Kuerbis, Alison.A. Moore, Paul Sacco & Faika Zanjani
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

9.9 Settings for Abuse

Elder abuse can occur at home, in the community, in long-term care settings, or a combination of settings. Community locations include such locations as an elder’s own home or the home of an individual with whom the elder lives. It is estimated that 90 % of all elder abuse occurs in community settings, though an accurate number is difficult to ascertain because of the ease with which elder abuse can be hidden in community settings [8, 19]. What occurs behind closed doors in the home may go unnoticed until someone finally speaks up, as the example of Mamie attests.

Mamie is an 80-year-old woman with mild cognitive impairment. She walks with difficulty, ambulating in a wheelchair more and more often. Living with her, following his recent and third divorce is her only son, Thomas, a 40-year-old engineer, who never seemed to be able to hold a job for any length of time. His relationships with women were intense but fleeting. Over time, Thomas’ bouts with depression have increased, and his weekend drinking has extended into the work week as well. Mamie is a generally cheerful woman, but her painful arthritis and back pain mean that she depends on asking Thomas to help her more and more, and she just forgets sometimes that she has asked Thomas for help at all. It seems as though Thomas has become less patient with her. He needs money, for sure, but he now lashes out with his responses to her requests, and over the past 6 months, he has started destroying vases on the tables and pictures on the walls. Recently , Mamie suffered a broken nose and heavy blood loss when Thomas, in a drunken stupor at the time, hit her and the wall behind her. The police were called by a neighbor who heard Mamie’s pleas for Thomas to stop.

Mentioned earlier, alcohol-related elder abuse can also occur in long-term care settings (e.g., assisted living facilities, group homes, mental hospitals, and nursing homes). According to Hawes [83], on an average day, approximately 1.6 million people live in a about 17,000 licensed nursing homes, and another estimated 900,000 to 1 million live in about 45,000 residential care facilities. Research suggests that the 2.5 million vulnerable individuals living in facilities may be at a higher risk for abuse and neglect than older persons who live at home because they are compromised physically and mentally, as illustrated in the following scenario.

Nearly all his life, Don lived and worked as a banker in a small town. Don continued to live in the family home after his wife Loris died in her late 70s due to a protracted illness. Don’s only child, a son, lived 5 hours away. The son called and visited as much as he and his family could, but over time, Don became lonely, particularly in the winter months, even forgetting to eat at times. Five years after Loris’ death, he sold the family home and moved into an assisted living facility (ALF). His gait and balance had deteriorated to the point that he often stumbled and leaned when he walked.

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