Theories Explaining Elderly Abuse
Introduction.
In The Elderly Health Journal, old life is an important phase in human development, involving various processes, such as the development of growth, perceptual and biological processes. It is a natural process that is normal. Gholipour & Abbasian,(2020).
Elderly abuse is the sloppy behavior by those who are charged to care for the elderly. The neglect of the elderly can be self-inflicted Gorbien and Eisenstein. (2018). Physical violence, infringing on their rights, sexual and physical violence as well as refusal to respect their rights, and physical abuse. Abuse refers to any action by the caregiver most likely to result in harm harm to the health of the older adult.
Theories that explain Elderly abuse are as follows The following theories are available for to explain elderly abuse. It is primarily focused on the social and the cultural environment, their connection with caregivers, and the definition of the victim. Gorbien & Eisenstein. (2018).
Theory of the situation
It is said that caregivers abuse elderly people because the demands of the elderly get too overwhelming. The caregiver is then guilty of not attending to the elderly’s requirements, which can lead to the elderly being in danger, or causing further harm to their health.
If the caregiver isn’t satisfied with the job they are doing in taking care of the elderly It could be due to not being compensated enough for their job Gholipour & Abbasian,(2020). This can lead to a situation which leads to being a victim of abuse. An uninformed caregiver in the field of taking care of elderly people causes a situation that leads to the abuse of elders.
Theory of Social Exchange.
The theory states that the daily interactions with others in the world produce unwritten rules. When it comes to family relations the most powerful person becomes more powerful with the passage of time. If unwritten rules have resulted in anger or resulted in unresolved conflicts This could lead to abuse of the elderly through the hands of the person who cares for the elder. It could increase the chance of abuse among elderly people.
The theory also emphasizes violence as a learned behaviour passed down from one generation to the next. It suggests that children are exposed to violence, they see it as a way to relieve stress. They accept it as an acceptable part of the social system. So, when adults are caring for the elderly, their demands are increased and they feel stress as children who are adolescents are able to abuse elderly. Gholipour & Abbasian,(2020).
Theory of stratification
This theory explains that jobs that are at lowest levels of the hierarchy are low-paying and aren’t attractive. Caregivers’ positions are at the lowest in the system stratified and they are the ones with low wages and no standing. When a caregiver provides services to the elderly, they with dementia may not be able to adhere to all the guidelines and rules that are given. Often they will not follow. The situation could lead to caregivers abusing the elderly person, based on their low status and the nature of their job. This is why it is thought that the low status of caregivers can contribute to the abuse of elderly people.
The Role accumulation theory.
Due to the increase in work load and demands of elderly people, families took advantage of the senior when they are unable to handle the pressure. Gholipour & Abbasian,(2020).Either a spouse or adult children who are caring for the older person. The family members decide to use the use of abuse as a means to manage stress.
The theory of the crisis in the second degree
According to this theory, inadequate parenting in the midst of growing up causes abuse when the child is an adult. The mother is blamed for her ineffective parenting and for not having enough time to connect with their child as the main source of the abuse. It explains why the mother has more time at work and does not have the time to spend with their child. Moreover, as they age and their child is no longer able to be a good parent and will be a victim of abuse. Momirov and Ann (2018). The theory doesn’t talk about the father not being a good parent when he’s absent with his child. this is because fathers care to the family, even when it means being absent.
Interactions that are symbolic
The theory places both the perpetrator and the caregiver on the same for the abuse. It says that both caregivers and abusers older person are in the same relationship and, in the process, they create behaviors that lead to solving conflicts through violence. The social status, gender and age are the main factors that which the bond is built upon and not the person who is the caregiver.
Feminist theory.
It is believed that males abuse women due to the fact that they were raised by their parents, and they are taught that they are strong and dominating in their interactions with females. The society has also stressed that men should control women at all costs including the use of violence. Women have a longer lifespan than men and men depend on women for their care. If a woman was abused while she was with her spouse, she could be a part of elder abuse in order to repay.
Conclusion
The most effective theory to explain elder abuse would be the theory of stratification. The theory suggests that abuse stems from the poor pay for caregivers. The majority of caregivers enter this field of work because they lack other ways to survive. As they become caregivers for the elderly, their demands continue to increase as it’s a full-time occupation the caregivers either get exhausted or experience fatigue. In the end, they are able to respond to the needs of seniors’ needs by using violence, which can lead to elder abuse.
The fact that the work is lacks prestige, which is a major reason for the caregivers abusing elderly people. In contrast to other theories, the connection between caregivers and elderly is a pure.
This is the most plausible theory to explain elderly abuse.
