The Elderly: Abuse, Neglect, and Stereotyping By Natalie Jagelski

Why the elderly? I have wonderful grandparents who I love and see often I could not believe that anybody would abuse an elder I was interested in learning how to help stop elderly abuse and neglect

Thesis The elderly are forced to endure false stereotypes, depressing neglect, and terrible abuse when, really, there are many successful and talented elders all over the world. Stereotypes Neglect Abuse Success

Stereotypes Three main ones: - Greedy - Unattractive - Senile Also sickly, cranky, and childlike “Elders are lumped together under the heading of ‘old’ and attributed a demeaning set of characteristics: senile, sickly, unattractive, greedy, cranky, and childlike” (Walker 2).

Stereotypes II Stereotypes made because: People are afraid of aging People do not visit elderly family members as often People do not have a good understanding about the elderly Is the picture of a young lady or an old woman?

Stereotype: Senile “If a thirteen year old loses his glasses, he is seen as irresponsible, and a forty year old is perceived as being very busy. But when a seventy year old loses his glasses, others think he is senile” (Jaksic 1). “I do not think the quote is true. Older people have years of information crowding their minds” (Freedman). It has been noted that if elders pause and focus on where they left something, they can usually find it.

Anti-aging Ads Say people should buy products to look younger Ads show that wrinkles are ugly Elders would be much more respected if they were not seen as lesser people because of their looks

The Elderly in Media Elderly not used very often in advertising or regular television When they do appear in media it is often in stereotypical manner Usually excluded all together

Neglect Includes: ignoring an elder, isolating an elder from family and friends, terrorizing or menacing an elder Mainly happens because respect towards elders has decreased over this past generation

Neglect II Elder neglect due to a failure to fulfill a caretakers obligation constitutes more then half of all reported cases of elderly abuse. Neglect can lead to feelings of detachment and depression.

Warning Signs Older adult wearing soiled clothing Dirty Looks malnourished Untreated physical issues Wearing inappropriate clothing for weather

Prevent Elder Neglect Make sure older person is taking care of their health Help senior stay active in community and connected with family and friends Stay in touch, call or visit as often as possible

Verbal Abuse Intimidating and elder by yelling or threats, humiliating an elder, blaming an elder for something they did not do Very harmful and hurtful

Mental Abuse People speak to or treat elderly persons in ways that cause emotional pain or distress Can cause an elder to become distant from family and friends

Physical Abuse Non-accidental use of force against an elder person that results in physical pain, injury, and impairment Includes hitting, shoving, inappropriate drug use, restraints, etc.

Financial Abuse Sending the same bill more then once Charging an elder too much for a bill Not returning change to an elder after a purchase Warning signs: unusual patterns of spending from elders account, frequent purchases of inappropriate items, bills going unpaid, utilities being turned off, etc. Older people are the first to get laid off

Elder Abuse Grandchildren, spouses, caretakers, friends, neighbors, and service providers are abusers 90% of abusers are family members Of this 90%, 50% are adults and children, 20% are intimate partners More then ½ of older victims are over 80 2/3 of victims are women 60% of victims show signs of dementia or confusion 40% of victims show signs of depression

Famous and Successful Elders Bill Clinton: stated the William J. Clinton Foundation with a mission to alleviate poverty, improve global health, strengthen the economy, and protect the environment. Harrison Ford became the highest paid actor in 2009 at age 65. Clint Eastwood at age 82 is a successful actor and director. There are also many, many more successful and famous elders.

Athletes Johnny Kelley finished his 60 th Boston Marathon when he was 83 Ivor Welch ran five marathons between 83 and 88, at 90 he ran 2 half marathons

Community Service For my community service I served 6 hours for a 79 year old lady who was going to have guests from out of town over I: cleaned her upstairs and downstairs bathrooms, cleaned all of the mirrors in her house, cleaned her guest bedroom, polished her silver, and played some games with her.

Interview The most interesting part about my interview was her thoughts on elderly stereotyping. Infirm, inactive, have dementia I did my interview over and, though I didn’t actually get to hear her voice, the interview meant a lot to me. It was very interesting to learn about her own personal experiences and input regarding elder abuse, neglect, and stereotyping.

Visiting My Great Grandma On mothers day I went to visit my 106 year old Great Grandmother She does the Jumble game in the newspaper every morning She said, “I may not be able to see or hear or walk, but I do have a strong and active mind.”

Interesting Facts The fastest growing age group is 85 and older Every 7.5 seconds a baby boomer turns 60 In 2030, 1 out of every 5 people will be 65 or older In 2005, 25% of Americans over 50 played video games

Alike or Different? At the beginning of this project, I already knew that the elderly were human just like all of us, but this project made me feel more respect towards the elderly. I used to make small jokes with my brother saying that my grandparents were senile. After this project, though, I have really come to realize that as people get older they have more and more memories crowding their minds. Their memories are what makes them interesting and enjoyable people to be around. The elderly are definitely more alike then different. Society just needs to open their eyes and see elders for whom they truly are: humans.

Work Cited Freedman, Carol. Interview. 3 April Jaksic, Vesna. “Elderly Face Bias Stereotyping.” Global Action on Aging. 25 May (Web). 18 March “Preventing Elder Abuse and Neglect in Older Adults: Tips From the American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging.” The Ags Foundation For Health in Aging. 27 April (Web). 18 March 2012.

Work Cited II Robinson, Lawrence. “Elder Abuse and Neglect: Warning Signs, Risk Factors, Prevention, and Help.” Helpguide.org. January (Web). 5 March Starr, Brian. “Ten Ways to Prevent Elder Abuse.” Starr Law Firm. (Web). 18 March Stevens, John. “Successful and Famous People Over 65.” EzineMark.com. 27 September (Web). 18 March 2012.

Work Cited III “The Immortals: Successful Athletes Over 60, Chapter 12.” WorldHealth.net. 10 November (Web). 18 March Walker, Jessica. “Elder Stereotypes in Media and Popular Culture.” Aging Watch. 30 October (Web). 7 March 2012.

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