By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    An Expert’s Guide To Building and Improving Endurance
    June 30, 2022
    medical assistants
    What Do Medical Assistants Do On a Day to Day Basis?
    April 5, 2022
    superfoods to help with prostate health
    10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Protect Your Prostate
    August 29, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cost crisis
    What If the Health Care Cost Crisis Solves Itself?
    May 11, 2013
    Do You Need Life Insurance? What Does It Cover?
    December 23, 2022
    HIE metal plans
    The Four “Metal Plans” of Health Insurance Exchanges
    May 28, 2013
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What Is the Most Common Cause of Elder Abuse?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Senior Care > What Is the Most Common Cause of Elder Abuse?
Senior Care

What Is the Most Common Cause of Elder Abuse?

Andrea Ladera
Andrea Ladera
Share
6 Min Read
elder abuse
Shutterstock Licensed Photo - 1429874453
SHARE

Don’t people know we should respect and care for our elders? Sadly, elder abuse is a growing problem.

Contents
The Scope of the ProblemGetting Help from a Nursing Home LawyerWhat is the most common cause of elder abuse? NeglectAbuse Caregivers’ Personal Issues Can Cause Elder AbuseOther Potential Reasons Why Some Caregivers Abuse Elderly PeopleFinal Thoughts

The term refers to an act in which an elderly person is harmed or distressed, including physical abuse, psychological abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse.

Elder abuse covers things like abandonment, neglect, causing a serious loss of dignity, and even financial abuse. Such acts can happen in institutions like hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities. 

The Scope of the Problem

The scope of the problem is bigger than you may think.

More Read

caring loved ones
Your Loved One’s Care and Your Peace of Mind
4 Important Healthy Aging Tips To Keep In Mind As You Age
How to Enhance Seniors Quality of Life with Comprehensive Home Care Services
Why Seniors Are At Elevated Risk Of Injury (And How To Keep Them Safe)
Preventative Elderly Care: Key Practices For Better Outcomes

According to a 2017 report from the World Health Organization, fifty-two studies across twenty-eight countries showed that, incredibly, one in six people over the age of sixty received some kind of abuse.

Don’t underestimate the seriousness of the consequences. Elder abuse can result in severe physical and mental health problems, as well as social and financial consequences. Things like depression, cognitive decline, and physical injuries can all be caused by elder abuse. 

Getting Help from a Nursing Home Lawyer

Nursing home residents and other elderly people have rights under federal and state laws to help ensure they receive the services they require without being mistreated.

Being treated with respect and dignity is just one of the rights that elderly people have.

So, if your loved one is sadly the victim of elder abuse, you at least have legal rights to hold individuals or organizations accountable and gain compensation.

Find out more from this caring and professional nursing home law firm: nursinghomelawyerpa.com.

What is the most common cause of elder abuse? 

Research is actually pretty scarce when it comes to the causes of elder abuse, but the one thing that crops up, again and again, is understaffing.

In turn, that is largely seen as happening because institutions put profits over people.

But at the end of the day, it is still people working at care homes and other institutions that are responsible for the direct abuse.

Understaffing means staff members are spread too thin to give each resident the time and care they deserve. And a lack of quality care can result in elder abuse.

While understaffing may be the leading cause of elder abuse, we need to look at the two main things that the umbrella heading covers to understand the causes of elder abuse better. 

Neglect

When elderly people are neglected by members of staff in nursing facilities and other institutions, it can result in elder abuse. 

Neglect can cause both psychological and physical health problems. It could even lead to wrongful death.

Things like depression, bedsores, and muscle atrophy can all be avoided when a facility is properly staffed. 

Abuse 

Employees of understaffed nursing homes and other care facilities are sure to be more stressed than those working in fully-staffed environments.

Staff members will be picking up overtime and doing long hours, which will create even more stress and frustration. In turn, staff members can take out their frustrations on residents or skip important tasks that are vital for the residents’ wellbeing.

This type of elder abuse can be intentional or unintentional. Distressed staff members may not realize that they are actually committing elder abuse. 

Caregivers’ Personal Issues Can Cause Elder Abuse

Like anyone else, caregivers have personal issues. Whether care facilities are understaffed or not, when caregivers have personal problems, those problems can affect the quality and quantity of care that they provide to residents.

However, when a facility is understaffed as well, it will contribute to the caregiver’s problems, even more, resulting in a higher chance of elder abuse.

Employees could have financial problems, relationship troubles, chronic fatigue, drug addiction, or even extreme psychological issues; any of which could cause employees to boil over and take their problems out on the residents they are supposed to be taking care of.

Also, caregivers who have financial problems could start stealing from residents, which is a form of elder abuse. 

Other Potential Reasons Why Some Caregivers Abuse Elderly People

The field of elder abuse still lacks an adequate guiding theory to determine the exact causes of why caregivers commit elder abuse. More studies need to be completed.

But here are some of the existing theories from respected researchers as to why caregivers abuse the elderly people they are supposed to be looking after.

  • They feel they don’t receive enough recognition from the elderly person for the job they do. That can result in violent behavior or stealing due to the caregivers wanting to get what they see as their fair share.
  • They are influenced by personal relationships and larger societal influences.
  • They have a childhood background involving abuse which has led them to try to solve their problems through violent actions. 
  • They learn their behavior from others around them, including coworkers. 

Final Thoughts

There are many strategies in progress to try to help reduce elder abuse. Providing caregivers with adequate support and ensuring care facilities are fully staffed and properly functioning would seem to be two obvious answers.

TAGGED:elder abuse
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Andrea Ladera
Follow:
Content Marketing Strategist for My Digital Dentistry. She enjoys reading books and being around family and friends.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

technology in medical research
The Tools Helping Medical Researchers See the Full Picture
News Technology
August 3, 2025
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025

You Might also Like

Senior Care

Important Tips For Preventing Falls In Seniors 

October 25, 2019
nursing homes
Senior Care

How Senior Home Care Can Improves Parental Health

March 25, 2024
FinanceMental HealthSenior Care

Financial Benefits For People Suffering From Dementia

June 3, 2019
stay healthy as a senior
Senior Care

5 Reasons To Consider Live-In Care As A Senior

June 21, 2021
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?