Safeguarding Vulnerable Elderly from Physical Abuse Essay

Safeguarding Vulnerable Elderly from Physical Abuse - Essay Example The elderly old are prone to physical abuse and physical neglect. Physical abuse is defined as any act of violence that may lead to injury, pain, disease or impairment. This kind of abuse may take the form of: pushing, pinching, slapping, force feeding, improper administration of medication, incorrect positioning, etc. Signs of physical abuse may include rope marks, lacerations, bruises, fracture and burns. Physical neglect, on the other hand, is typified by a failure by the caregiver to prevent harm or provide desired living condition for an elderly old. This form of abuse encompasses acts such as failure to provide physical aids e.g. hearing aids and eye glasses, and denying health maintenance care to an elderly person (White, 2000).Reasons why the elderly are vulnerable  Vulnerable elderly old may faces abuse from their relatives, family members or paid care givers. The reasons for their vulnerability are quite varied. Physical abuse of elderly people can happen once or may happ en repeatedly. Sudden outburst by the elderly person might lead the care giver to slap the elderly, an act that is considered abusive. Sometimes the care giver might not know how to handle or support an elderly person. This lack of proper training can lead to injuries (Acierno et al, 2010). Most elderly old are slow in conversation and movement. This may frustrate the care giver resulting in rough handling and annoyance. Hot temper from the care giver might result Family members may find it cumbersome and stressful to care.... Physical abuse is defined as any act of violence that may lead to injury, pain, disease or impairment. This kind of abuse may take the form of: pushing, pinching, slapping, force feeding, improper administration of medication, incorrect positioning, etc. Signs of physical abuse may include rope marks, lacerations, bruises, fracture and burns. Physical neglect, on the other hand, is typified by a failure by the caregiver to prevent harm or provide desired living condition for an elderly old. This form of abuse encompasses acts such as failure to provide physical aids e.g. hearing aids and eye glasses, and denying health maintenance care to an elderly person (White, 2000). Reasons why the elderly are vulnerable Vulnerable elderly old may faces abuse from their relatives, family members or paid care givers. The reasons for their vulnerability are quite varied. Physical abuse of elderly people can happen once or may happen repeatedly. Sudden outburst by the elderly person might lead the care giver to slap the elderly, an act that is considered abusive. Sometimes the care giver might not know how to handle or support an elderly person. This lack of proper training can lead to injuries (Acierno et al, 2010). Most elderly old are slow in conversation and movement. This may frustrate the care giver resulting in rough handling and annoyance. Hot temper from the care giver might result into actual physical harm on the elderly person. In a family setup, abuse may occur due to long-standing hostilities between the elderly person and the family members. Family members may find it cumbersome and stressful to care for the elderly relative. Some of these families may leave the elderly person unattended to, exposing him to suffering. Abuse of the elderly old can also take place in a