Friday, January 23, 2009

Caregivers and elder abuse

A survey of 220 caregivers looking after a family member with dementia has found that abuse is more common than was previously thought. The survey was carried out by researchers from University College, London and surveyed people from a range of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. A third of caregivers said they frequently swore at or insulted their relative with dementia while half said that they occasionally screamed or yelled at them.

You can find out more about this research at

http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE50M0G420090123?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&sp=true

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Even though it's a horrible phenomenon, 1/3rd actually sounds about right, unfortunately. Most family wouldn't really want to deal with something like dementia, but it simply happens and stresses people out like crazy, to the point of violence, even. All we can do is try to get those unfortunate elders into better hands.

John Gale said...

Thanks for your comment. I'm afraid that this is a problem that is only going to get worse as the population ages. Maybe the current financial crisis will lead to society reassessing its priorities - but I wouldn't hold your breath!