Out of the Shadows
Uncovering Substance Use and Elder Abuse

Module 1: Introduction to Elder Abuse - Page 2 of 9

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Older Adults are rapidly making up a large proportion of people living in the United States.

Elder abuse is not a problem that happens only to some undefined "other" group of people. Unless society acknowledges the problems of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, elder abuse will remain in the shadows. The voices of those people traditionally honored as "elders" are all around us. It's time to listen.

Multimedia Listen to The Voice of An Elder

I am the voice of an elder.
I am the first of four living generations.
Who am I? What do I do?
I am a neighbor, a friend,
a parent, a spouse. . .
the stranger you don't see
and the one you do.

I am a teacher. A student. A muse.
I have danced to every tempo
from Bombay to San Salvador.
I cook meals that
gather memories and family under one roof.
I mend broken things and heal lost dreams.
I tell stories of my life and my generation.

I am the voice of an elder.
My shoes held the sands of Normandy.
My hands covered miles and miles of assembly lines.
I built bridges to move people, thoughts, and
new ideas.
My face is my past . . .
and your future.

I am the voice of an elder.
Listen.

Credits: "The Voice of An Elder" by Patricia Theiler. Voiceover by Nathaniel Collins. The photographs are courtesy of the U.S. Administration on Aging's "Images of the Aging: Aging Magazine."

Acknowledging the Problem

In 1985, the U.S. Surgeon General declared family violence a national epidemic. ref Family violence, which includes elder abuse, refers to violence perpetrated by parents, spouses, or other members sharing a household. Unlike violence perpetrated by strangers, family violence by its nature occurs in the context of ongoing relationships that are expected to be protective, supportive, and nurturing. ref Frequently, it is this clash between what society expects of families and how individuals actually behave that keeps elder abuse and neglect in the shadows.

We now know that much of elder abuse is perpetrated by family members, such as adult children or spouses, rather than by strangers. Recognizing the reality of elder abuse and other forms of family violence and treating it openly are the first steps to finding solutions.

Older people living in the United States have survived wars, once deadly childhood diseases, catastrophic economic declines, and a host of other events and conditions that seem inconceivable in light of modern advances. Even the youngest seniors have adapted to individual, institutional, and technological changes of immense proportions.

Yet, after years of contributing to society, many older people face a major challenge: elder abuse.

The abuse may surface as:

The National Center on Elder Abuse

The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA), has comprehensive information on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. NCEA also hosts the Clearinghouse on Abuse and Neglect (CANE), an annotated bibliography of research, reports, and other materials. NCEA's Web site contains more in-depth information on topics in this course including other training materials, publications, directories, list serves and organizations, research reports and other resources for professionals and members of the public.

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