Question

Family Violence in Later Life, Elder Mistreatment in Institutional Settings and Elder Sexual Abuse

Examples of family violence in later life, institutional elder mistreatment and elder sexual abuse.[i]

1. Mrs. Kim, age 87, was bedridden as a result of severe arthritis. She needed help getting to her walker and getting around the house. She also needed meals prepared for her. Her husband provided care for her because he did not want to pay anyone to help them. He fed his wife only when he felt like it. Some days, he gave her medications and other days he did not in order to save money. When she complained too much, he would overmedicate her to “stop her nagging.” When overmedicated, he would “have sex” with her.

[i] Examples excerpted either directly or with slight adaptation from B. Brandl, C. Bitondo Dyer, C.J. Heisler, J. Marlatt Otto, L. Stiegel & R. Thomas, Elder abuse detection and intervention: A collaborative approach (New York: Springer Publishing Company, 2007), 64-71.

Questions related to the above examples:

• For each case, what is the alleged perpetrator’s relationship with the victim? Where did the mistreatment occur (community or institution)? What types of mistreatment do you think occurred? How does the perpetrator use the victim’s vulnerabilities to control or exploit him/her? Is the victim able to reach out for help?
• What are challenges that nurses might face when presented with these different types of cases?

Answer 1

• The perpetrator is the victim's husband
• The mistreatment is occurring in the home ,that is in the community
• The type of mistreatment occurred here is family violence or domestic violence.The victim is experiencing a physical abuse,sexual abuse and emotional abuse because of it.
• The perpetrator used the victim's vulnerabilities to exploit her by over medicating her and have sex with her against her will in this old age
• The victim is not able to reach for help because she is bedridden
• The challenges which can be faced by the nurse are to care for the victim meeting her physical and psychological needs as a part of ethical treatment. To act as a advocate on behalf of the patient when there is domestic violence.