Character of abuse towards the elderly through history.

Abuse, neglect and other forms of discrimination towards the elderly have always been present in history. There has been a model of "old person" in every culture, according to which older people are treated. The more idealized the model is, the less tolerant and more demanding society is towards the elderly. Presented results lead to the conclusion that significant number of older people feel mistreated because of their age in many aspects of daily life. Various forms of abuse may be difficult to thoroughly analyze, for they are so persistent in our collective consciousness. Unfortunately, material civilization progress is not sufficient to eliminate abuse. Thus, monitoring and relevant assistance to people exposed to abuse and violence, particularly those with compromised defense abilities, is crucial.

S.O.S. Violencia intrafamiliar en el adulto MAYOR / S.O.S. Intrafamiliar Violence in Elders

Numerosas personas de la tercera edad son maltratadas por sus familiares, por tal motivo realizamos una investigación cuanti-cualitativa, prospectiva, descriptiva de corte transversal, cuyo objetivo fue caracterizar la violencia intrafamiliar en adultos mayores del Consultorio Médico de la Familia No. 2 del Policlínico Universitario Federico Capdevila. Enero a junio 2010.Universo: 160 adultos mayores. Muestra: 123. Variables estudiadas: edad, sexo, estado civil, percepción del funcionamiento familiar, existencia, formas y visualización de la violencia intrafamiliar; y familiar agresor. La información aportada por diferentes fuentes, se procesó en una base de datos. Se utilizó la estadística descriptiva (medidas de resumen), haciendo agrupaciones según indicadores fijados. Los aspectos éticos fueron considerados. El 65,9 por ciento de los adultos mayores perteneció al sexo femenino, 46,3 por ciento tenía edades de 70-79 años, 64,2 por ciento era casados/a, 44,5 por ciento percibía a su familia como disfuncional. Del total 78,5 por ciento era víctima de alguna de forma de violencia intrafamiliar. En 57,7 por ciento de los maltratados los hijos eran los agresores. De los actos violentos los psicológicos (73,2 por ciento) ocuparon el primer lugar, seguidos del abandono (61,9 por ciento). El 95,9 por ciento no visualizaba la violencia antes de las dinámicas grupales. El 100 por ciento lo logró durante ellas. Hubo predominio del sexo femenino, el grupo de edad 70 a 79 años y el estado civil casado/a. La mayor parte percibió su familia disfuncional. La mayoría eran víctimas de alguna de forma de violencia intrafamiliar, siendo los familiares agresores principales hijos/as. La violencia psicológica ocupó el primer lugar, seguida del abandono. La invisibilidad de la violencia intrafamiliar fue elevada, situación que se modificó en las dinámicas grupales(AU)

Numerous people of the third age are mistreated by their relatives, for such a reason we carry out a cuanti-qualitative, prospective investigation, descriptive of traverse court whose objective was not to characterize the violence interfamilial in adults bigger than the Medical Clinic of the Family. 2 of the University Policlínico Federico Capdevila. January to June 2010. Universe: bigger 160 adults. It shows: 123. Studied variables: age, sex, civil state, perception of the family operation, existence, forms and visualization of the violence interfamilial; and family aggressor. The information contributed by different sources, was processed in a database. The descriptive statistic was used (summary measures), making groupings according to fixed indicators. The ethical aspects were considered. 65,9 percent of the biggest adults belonged to the feminine sex, 46,3 percent had 70-79 year-old ages, 64,2 percent was married, 44,5 percent it perceived to its family like dysfunctional. Of the total 78,5 percent he/she was victim of some in way of violence interfamilial. In 57,7 percent of those mistreated the children were the aggressors. Of the violent acts the psychological ones (73, 2 percent) they occupied the first place, followed by the abandonment (61,9 percent). 95,9 percent didn't visualize the violence before the dynamic groupies. 100 percent achieved it during them. There was prevalence of the feminine sex, the age group 70 to 79 years and the state civil married. Most perceived their family dysfunctional. Most was victims of some in way of violence interfamilial, being the family aggressors main children. The psychological violence occupied the first place, followed by the abandonment. The invisibility of the violence interfamilial was high, situation that modified in the dynamic groupies(AU)

Mother abuse: a matter of youth justice, child welfare or domestic violence?

International evidence suggests that in advanced welfare states the abuse of parents, most particularly mothers, by their (most frequently male) adolescent children is increasingly prevalent. In the United Kingdom, however, child-to-mother abuse remains one of the most under-acknowledged and under-researched forms of family violence. Although it is an issue shrouded in silence, stigma, and shame, the authors' work in the youth justice sphere, focusing on interventions to deal with anti-social behaviour, suggests that adolescent violence toward mothers is a topical and prevalent issue. We identify different ways of conceptualizing it in the policy realms of youth justice, child welfare, and domestic violence. The behaviour of both child/young person and mother is constructed in ways which inform the assignment of blame and responsibility. The paper highlights the silence that surrounds the issue in both the policy and wider academic spheres, hiding the failure of service providers to respond to this very destructive form of intimate interpersonal violence.

Severe self-neglect: an epidemiological and historical perspective.

Older adults with severe self-neglect have multiple deficits in various social, functional and physical domains, and often live insqualor. These individuals often present with poor personal hygiene, domestic squalor and hoarding which results in a threat to their own health as well as personal and public safety. Severe self-neglect occurs along a continuum with older adults often having cognitive and affective disorders compared with younger individuals presenting with psychiatric illnesses. In cases of severe self-neglect with hoarding, evidence has shown this behavior occurs in diverse social strata and not among the wealthy and professionals alone as believed earlier. Due to the multiple conditions associated with severe self-neglect, this population will require an interdisciplinary, multidimensional approach to reduce morbidity and mortality rates including nursing home placement. Research on this group has been limited and is rarely described in the medical and nursing literature. Future research is needed to provide practitioners with effective screening instruments and interventions on cases of severe self-neglect.

Primitive society, health & elderly.

Mankind have been ravaged by diseases since primitive age and remedial measures were emprirical learnt either by accident, experience or superstition. But most elderly population were killed and hardly died of diseases. Fate of women were no better. Care for elderly came with civilization. They were little better in the East compared to the West. Although elderly population were better treated in India, China tops the list for elderly care. Even today the oldest man in the family is most respected. Civilized nations even today discriminate elderly population compared to children and adult, but apply the yardstick in a different manner, direct killing alone is not allowed.