One out of 3 seniors is a victim of abuse. Harassment, negligence, physical and psychological abuse are reported by 10% of frail elderly people, an estimate that increases up to 34% when episodes of abuse are reported by their caregivers, reaching about two thirds in nursing homes and rest homes . Within the home, situations of abuse are hardly detectable, but unfortunately in most cases they occur at the hands of caregivers and family members.
In this scenario, the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Sigg), on the occasion of the World Day Against Abuse which occurs tomorrow, is promoting an awareness campaign this year on the importance of kindness to prevent abuse of the elderly. The initiative includes an online training event, intended for citizens and health and social workers, in which the winners of a competition will be presented, aimed at welcoming creative and multimedia contributions of any artistic form, photos, videos and narratives. Also expected is the launch of two national studies in nursing homes to evaluate staff burnout, potentially inappropriate behavior towards the elderly and reporting patterns of suspected abuse situations.
“Today in Italy there are over 7 million people who provide assistance to the elderly and 30% are family members with a heavy commitment that weighs like a real second job, with more than 14 hours a week dedicated to taking care of their loved ones – explains Andrea Ungar, president of Sigg – Those who have the financial resources resort to the private sector with an expense that mostly falls directly on families with an annual average of more than 10 thousand euros for over 20% of families”.
“The simple act of being kind to older people must be considered part of the care service – underlines Ungar -. Neuroscience indicates that seeing someone show positive emotions automatically activates the same areas of the brain”. Kindness can also have a strong therapeutic impact on elderly people: by activating the production of oxytocin, the hormone of happiness that removes stress, kindness helps protect memory, helps fight depression and contributes to a drop in blood pressure. notes Ms.
But “just the stress deriving from the burden of care – declares Anna Castaldo, member of the Sigg scientific committee and coordinator of the study group on the prevention of maltreatment of the elderly – can cause a reduction in the quality of care and, in the worst case, situations of abuse which explode especially in the difficult summer period. This requires an urgent reflection on the welfare system and on the effective adequacy of the needs of the elderly and caregivers”.
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