Violence against the Elderly

Economic Abuse, Infantilization and Neglect

Violence against the elderly is a silent phenomenon facilitated by a culture that dismisses old age as unproductive.

The most common forms are not always beatings, but patrimonial abuse and neglect.

Children or grandchildren appropriate the pension, sell property by deception or restrict access to the elderly person's money under the excuse of "administering" it, leaving them defenseless.

To this is added psychological violence through infantilization (annulling their right to decide) and humiliation ("you are no longer good for anything", "you steal oxygen").

Neglect, as passive violence, involves not providing adequate food, hygiene, medicines or glasses, accelerating the physical and cognitive deterioration of the elderly.

This deprivation of basic care is a form of abuse that saps the victim's will to live, plunging him or her into deep depressions that are often mistakenly mistaken for senile dementia.

Caregiver Syndrome and Resources: Day Centers

It is essential to clarify that not all elder abuse is born of psychopathic malice; sometimes it is a product of caregiver burnout or "Burnout Syndrome".

Caring for an elderly dependent or with neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's) without support is exhausting and can lead the family to violent reactive behaviors out of desperation and exhaustion.

The professional response should not always be immediate prosecution or asylum (which the elderly person usually rejects), but the implementation of respite resources such as "Day Centers".

These spaces offer professional stimulation, food and socialization to the elderly during the day, allowing them to sleep at home.

This fulfills a double preventive function: it dignifies the elderly person's life by keeping him/her active and provides the family caregiver with a necessary rest, reducing the stress levels that often trigger intra-family abuse.

Abstract

Elder abuse oft