Elder abuse is well recognized. 600,000 of them are affected in France and 1 in 10 worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The portal of the French Ministry of Health, dedicated to the autonomy of the elderly and the support of their loved ones, addresses this subject which is still taboo and raises awareness among seniors and their entourage about this scourge by providing them with answers in terms of prevention, help and support.
Abuse is defined by the Council of Europe as " any act of negligence or omission committed by a person, if it harms the life, physical or mental integrity, freedom of another person or seriously compromises the development of his personality and/or undermines financial security." . As with all individuals, elder abuse is a violation of human rights.
It can be exercised within the family of the elderly person as well as in an establishment such as an accommodation establishment for dependent elderly people (Ehpad) or a retirement home. There are 2 forms of abuse:inadvertent abuse, i.e. negligence towards an elderly person without the intention of harming but rather due to a lack of information, knowledge, training, or by exhaustion for example. The second form of abuse is said to be intentional. There, negligence and actions towards the elderly have the main objective of harming.
What are the risk factors for elder abuse?
The mistreatment of an elderly person is favored by their state of vulnerability (isolation, fragility, dementia, handicaps, etc.). Caregivers who are not well prepared to take care, all the more continuously, of very dependent elderly people, who have character problems in particular, are likely to engage in acts of abuse either because they feel overwhelmed by the task, either because they are psychologically fragile or because they do not receive gratification in return for their difficult involvement with the elderly person.
Within specialized establishments for the elderly, certain factors can favor mistreatment. Work overload, dysfunctions within teams or personnel or financial management problems are all situations that can lead to cases of mistreatment.
Even if mistreatment is difficult to recognize in an elderly person, some signs can nevertheless alert those around them:the elderly person seems suspicious, frightened; she shows signs of depression; she is apathetic; it falls very often; She shows signs of unexplainable injuries. On the side of the carer, there are also signs that can raise questions about the presence of a case of abuse or not:the carer belittles the elderly person he is caring for; he complains about it; he reprimands her or isolates her.
Whether you are a witness or a victim of mistreatment of an elderly person, it is essential, and even mandatory, to report it. The most serious cases of mistreatment must be reported to the Public Prosecutor and to the police and gendarmerie services, under pain of being punished by 3 years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros for failure to assist a person in danger.
When they are the work of a professional from an establishment or service for the elderly, the report must first be made to the hierarchical superior and to the regional health agency (ARS) in the case abuse in a hospital setting. The ARS has the power to control the service concerned by a report of mistreatment and to issue administrative injunctions, or even to declare the closure of the structures concerned.
Whatever the facts of mistreatment of an elderly person, they can be reported via the 3977 platform, which directs the emergency services to the emergency services or which instructs the report jointly with the local authorities competent in the matter.
