Introduction to Sociology

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13. 
    Which action reflects ageism?
    
    1. 
       Believing that older people dive too slowly
       
    2. 
       Speaking slowly and loudly when talking to someone over age sixty-five years old.
       
    3. 
       Ageism occurs when someone acts on a prejudice and discriminates against someone based on age.
       
    4. 
       Living in a culture where elders are respected
       
    5. 
       Enabling WWII veterans to visit war memorials
       

Check your answers at the end of this document

Mistreatment and Abuse

Mistreatment and abuse of the elderly is a major social problem. As expected, with the biology of aging, the elderly sometimes become physically frail. This frailty renders them dependent on others for care—sometimes for small needs like household tasks, and sometimes for assistance with basic functions like eating and toileting. Unlike a child, who also is dependent on another for care, an elder is an adult with a lifetime of experience, knowledge, and opinions—a more fully developed person. This makes the care-providing situation more complex.
Elder abuse occurs when a caretaker intentionally deprives an older person of care or harms the person in his or her charge. Caregivers may be family members, relatives, friends, health professionals, or employees of senior housing or nursing care. The elderly may be subject to many different types of abuse. In a 2009 study on the topic led by Dr. Ron Acierno, the team of researchers identified five major categories of elder abuse: 1) physical abuse, such as hitting or shaking, 2) sexual abuse, including rape and coerced nudity, 3) psychological or emotional abuse, such as verbal harassment or humiliation, 4) neglect or failure to provide adequate care, and 5) financial abuse or exploitation (Acierno 2010).
The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), a division of the U.S. Administration on Aging, also identifies abandonment and self-neglect as types of abuse. The table below shows some of the signs and symptoms that the NCEA encourages people to notice.