NCJ Number
92595
Date Published
1983
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This review of elder abuse intervention with the client, family, and health care professionals emphasizes the importance of sensitizing health professionals to the therapeutic needs of elderly victims and urges such workers to raise their consciousness to ageism.
Abstract
Alleviating severe psychotic or depressive symptoms in the elderly abuse victim may require psychotropic medication. However, inappropriate social behavior can be managed with behavioral paradigms, and breathing or relaxation exercises may help overcome anxiety. Following these direct attacks on symptoms, ventilation of the underlying effects of fear, anger, or loss is necessary. The next steps are minimizing helplessness and dependency, increasing the patient's sense of mastery, and reversing the nature of the stress. Political and attitudinal consciousness raising are also important in this crisis intervention stage. A similar short-term therapeutic process is recommended for family members who are abusers. Individuals with a lifelong history of inadequate coping skills should enter a second stage of intervention, psychotherapy. Older persons are probably more motivated for growth and behavior changes that any other age group because they are aware of their limited life span. Health professionals frequently victimize the elderly because of societal stereotypes, attitudes, and ignorance. A clear relationship has been demonstrated between improvement in professional attitudes and acquisition of factual knowledge of the elderly. The paper describes several multidisciplinary training projects for medical personnel that focus on the aging process, assessing and treating the elderly, attitudinal victimization, stereotyping, economic problems of the aged, family and medical abuse, and the psychological effects of victimization. Approximately 60 references are included.