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Shocking Abuse of Elderly Women
Thankfully, the #MeToo movement brought to light the prevalence of sexual abuse in our society.
Many people focus on one dynamic alone — that of powerful men who used their positions to prey on younger women. The national dialogue highlighted how those starting out in their careers were particularly vulnerable to men in positions of authority. Those young women were able to come forward, to speak out and gain attention for their cause.
As a result, many men lost their positions of trust. Careers ended, reputations were ruined and fortunes were lost.
Elderly women will not be so lucky. It is unlikely they will ever be the champions of their own cause.
What society hasn’t discussed is the shocking statistics on the abuse of older women. Because so few of the crimes are reported, the extent of the problem is not fully known. Only about 30 percent of elderly abuse victims go to the authorities.
Women are six times more likely to be victims of abuse.
A supervised setting such as nursing home isn’t a deterrent, as 84 percent of elder abuse happens to those living in a care center. Shockingly, 80 percent of the time, the abuse was perpetrated by a caregiver — and more than 75 percent of victims say their abuse was witnessed by another. Still, the crimes go unreported.
