NCJ Number
92591
Date Published
1983
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Society should not coerce families into unwanted or excessive responsibility for elderly dependent parents and should provide financial and social services to help those families who want to care for their elderly relatives.
Abstract
Although reciprocal relationships exist between elderly parents and their middle-aged children, the parent's increasing level of impairments and losses increases dependency on the family and often produces family pressures. Abusive behavior can be one consequence of such pressures, whether the parent resides with the child or lives elsewhere. Elder abuse occurs within the home and is hidden from outsiders. Moreover, legal, social service, and health care systems have used the family as a panacea in care of the elderly. Elderly parents are reluctant to report abuse or exploitation by their children, often feel guilty for causing family tensions, and may even believe they are being 'paid back' for their use of physical force in raising their children. Other sources of pressure include discrepancies in values and standards of behavior between generations, economic burdens of caring for a parent with little income, and restrictions on family privacy and mobility. A failure to redefine family roles, rights, and responsibilities over the passage of years is another cause of hostility or overt violence toward the aged parent. The paper concludes with suggestion regarding the need for careful assessment of family members entrusted to care for an elderly dependent parent, legislation, and supportive and protective services for elderly parents. It includes 35 references.