Medico-legal approach in elderly abuse and neglect

Abstract

The state of medical knowledge and forensic science, regarding abuse and neglect in elderly may be illumined, approximately equivalent to child abuse and neglect few decades back in life of a person. Feared retaliation, perceived stigmatization, desire not to leave home and protect wrong doer and difficulty in communicating, are close similarities with child abuse. Grave difference is that death of older person is rarely scrutinized carefully. It is regardless of risk factors of possible abuse or neglect as it is for children and younger victims of sexual and domestic violence, who are healthy and unexpected to die. Additional differences include old age often bringing medical and physiological attributes that mimics or masks, markers of elder abuse and neglect, further complicating analysis and detection. Elderly have multiple medical problems and dependencies, misguiding assumption that these are prone to stressors causing natural death. Factually, older persons have fewer support systems and reserves—physical, psychological, and economic, magnifying impact of abuse and neglect. A single mistreatment is more likely to trigger a downward spiral, leading to dependency, serious complicating illness and even death.