Authors : C. Stavrianos, L. Vasiliadis, J. Emmanouil, O. Pantelidou, A. Pantazis and C. Papadopoulos
Abstract: Seniors can be vulnerable to abuse for many reasons in many different aspects of life. Elder abuse refers to any action or inaction that threatens the well-being of a senior. Abuse can occur at home or in a residential facility at the hands of a family member or another caregiver. But abuse is not only about broken bones and bruises and marks seen on the body of the victim. There can be different types of elder abuse. The senior may be subjected to more than one type. Most common types are: physical abuse, sexual abuse, inactive abuse, active abuse, self-neglect or abandonment, financial exploitation and psychological abuse. Signs and symptoms can be noticed by neighbors and be reported. It is of major importance that the dentist/doctor is qualified and informed of the protocol on handling cases of elder abuse. Usually elder abuse is the well-kept secret of a family and it is a problem within families. Unfortunately elder abuse can happen to any family. The topic of elder abuse is difficult because all practitioners wish that it did not happen. Cases of family violence are hard to deal with because we know that they are not the result of some disease or accident. Instead, they are done deliberately. Although, victims are often reluctant to report their abuse, the fact that about 75% of physical injuries are inflicted to the region of the head, face, mouth and neck places dentists in a very good position to recognize the signs of abuse and take steps to intervene.
C. Stavrianos, L. Vasiliadis, J. Emmanouil, O. Pantelidou, A. Pantazis and C. Papadopoulos, 2011. Elder Abuse and its Forms of Expression. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 5: 133-140.