Domestic Violence in Later Life

1. Domestic Violence in Later Life Created by

2. Created by FCADV 2 Elder Abuse During the late 1970s and 1980s the mistreatment of elderly was recognized as abuse. Recently the term �domestic violence� was applied to some cases of elder abuse.

3. Created by FCADV 3 VAWA and Elder Abuse Reauthorization of the Violence against Women Act of October 2000: Included specific language addressing the needs of older women and women with disabilities, and providing funding for expanded services, and education.

4. Created by FCADV 4 Florida Statue 741.28 Any assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death, of one family or household member by another family or household member.

5. Created by FCADV 5 2007 Florida Statutes Florida has three statutes pertaining to older abused women: Florida Statute 415: Adult Protective Services Act Florida Statute 825: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Elderly Persons and Disabled Adults.

6. Created by FCADV 6 Definitions Legal Definition of vulnerable adult includes a person 18 years of age or older whose ability to perform the normal activities of daily living or to provide for his or her own care or protection is impaired due to Mental disability Emotional disability Long term physical or developmental disability Brain Damage Infirmities of age

7. Created by FCADV 7 Definitions Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive and assaultive tactics to maintain power and control in an interpersonal relationship. The behaviors are more than in isolated incident.

8. Created by FCADV 8 Definitions Elder abuse is any form of mistreatment that results in harm or loss to an older person. 90% of elder abuse occurs in a home setting Most frequent assailant: adult male relatives with mental health or substance abuse problems Reference: Washington PostReference: Washington Post

9. Created by FCADV 9 Abuse in Later Life Research indicates the most common reasons for abuse later in life are power and control dynamics similar to those experienced by younger women

10. Created by FCADV 10 Breakdown of Elder Abuse Perpetrators Rebuild more conciseRebuild more concise

11. Created by FCADV 11 Domestic Violence Later in Life Persons of any age may experience domestic violence One type of abuse an elder or vulnerable adult might experience is domestic violence.

12. Created by FCADV 12 3 Types of Interpersonal Violence Later in Life A 2nd marriage or new relationship may become abusive. Physical abuse may begin after years of controlling behavior. Life-long battering relationship where violence continues for decades.

13. Created by FCADV 13 The Adult Child and Other Family Members Caregivers or other family members may take advantage of the senior�s failing memory or deteriorating physical condition. Abandonment- News article of daughter who abandons motherAbandonment- News article of daughter who abandons mother

14. Created by FCADV 14 Domestic Violence Later in Life Abusers often believe that they have the right to do whatever they want to get their own way. Men may believe that it is acceptable to treat their wives or partners badly because men are meant to control the house. Adult children may feel they have the right to take things from their parents.

15. Created by FCADV 15 Elder Domestic Violence is NOT: Institutional Caregiver Abuse However family violence can and does occur in an institutional setting Physical or mental conditions that manifest in abusive and sexually inappropriate behaviors where power and control dynamics are not present. Keep in Mind: Some batters may blame their behavior on an illness or disability.

16. Created by FCADV 16 What it is NOT: Caregiver Stress Caregiver stress describes well-meaning individuals committing isolated acts of abuse when they lose control under significant pressure. Although caregiver stress can be a factor to elder domestic violence, it is not a cause.

17. Created by FCADV 17 What it is NOT: Caregiver Stress Assumes victim is dependent on abuser, often it is the other way around Focuses on supporting the batterer instead of victim safety Blames the victim Does not identify abuse as crime Traditional DV approaches are not considered

18. Created by FCADV 18 Forms of Abuse Financial Exploitation Physical Abuse and Neglect Emotional Abuse and Neglect Sexual Violence Isolation and Abandonment

19. Created by FCADV 19 Physical Abuse and Neglect Active Neglect: Understands but fails to follow medical, therapy, diet, or safety recommendations Denies or creates long waits for food, heat, care or medication Refuses to dress or dress inappropriately Passive Neglect: Well-intended caregiver is unable or lacks the knowledge to provide adequate care. Power and control tactics are absent. Examples: 90 lb woman may not be able to turn 200 lb. man Developmentally delayed adult child may not be able to manage his parent�s medication schedule.Examples: 90 lb woman may not be able to turn 200 lb. man Developmentally delayed adult child may not be able to manage his parent�s medication schedule.

20. Created by FCADV 20 Physical Abuse and Neglect: Homicide-Suicide Without intervention, abuse can lead to accidental death or murder. A �homicide-suicide� is when person first kills another then kills him or herself.

21. Created by FCADV 21 Forms of Isolation

22. Created by FCADV 22 Sexual Violence The topic of sexual abuse within the family is rarely addressed. Sexuality is associated with younger people. It is estimated that less than 1/3 of sexual abuse against elderly is reported (Burgess, Clements, 2006).

23. Created by FCADV 23 Sexual Violence It is important to remember that it is not the physical attributes of the victim but rather her vulnerability that attracts sexual offenders. For example: speech and language problems that may be the result of a stroke would make it virtually impossible to disclose the abuse to anyone.

24. Created by FCADV 24 Sexual Violence Elder sexual abuse often begins with inappropriate remarks, touching and threats It can then escalate to include Forcing the victim to view pornography or listen to explicit sexual accounts. Forced sex acts and rape.

25. Created by FCADV 25 Sexual Violence Perpetrators Marital Rape Rape by sons, grandsons or other family members Some may fall victim to multiple family members. Video of elder women being assaulted by new boyfriend Stats of rape perps �Worse than Oedipal nature of offense�-Washington Post Take the case of 96-year-old "Miss Mary." To get out of a nursing home, Miss Mary moved into the Jacksonville trailer home of her grandson and his wife. She cooked and cleaned for them and contributed part of her Social Security check to the household; they sold off her belongings and stole her burial payments. One night in 2004, when his wife was gone, Miss Mary's grandson raped and assaulted her for six hours, then threatened to kill her. Instead he fell asleep, and Miss Mary called 911. Despite serious injuries and abundant evidence of the attack, her entire family took the grandson's side. Prosecutors worried that the jurors wouldn't believe her either. But they did, convicting the grandson of sexual battery, for which he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Until her death last year, Miss Mary lived in the place she had most wanted to avoid -- a nursing home. Video of elder women being assaulted by new boyfriend Stats of rape perps �Worse than Oedipal nature of offense�-Washington Post Take the case of 96-year-old "Miss Mary." To get out of a nursing home, Miss Mary moved into the Jacksonville trailer home of her grandson and his wife. She cooked and cleaned for them and contributed part of her Social Security check to the household; they sold off her belongings and stole her burial payments. One night in 2004, when his wife was gone, Miss Mary's grandson raped and assaulted her for six hours, then threatened to kill her. Instead he fell asleep, and Miss Mary called 911. Despite serious injuries and abundant evidence of the attack, her entire family took the grandson's side. Prosecutors worried that the jurors wouldn't believe her either. But they did, convicting the grandson of sexual battery, for which he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Until her death last year, Miss Mary lived in the place she had most wanted to avoid -- a nursing home.

26. Created by FCADV 26 Red Flags for Elder Domestic Violence �Doctor shopping� Bruises, scratches, black eye(s) Rope marks or marks from restraints Pressure sores Thoughts of Suicide Fear of Caregiver Acting differently or exhibiting usual behaviors Unsafe or unsanitary living conditions

27. Created by FCADV 27 Abuse Later in Life Wheel Reference: NCALLReference: NCALL

28. Created by FCADV 28 Barriers to Disclosure An older woman, who was raised to feel that her most important role was to be a wife and mother, may feel like a failure if she ends the relationship. Parents may resist the interventions that result in their adult children being arrested, homeless, or placed in an mental health facility.

29. Created by FCADV 29 Barriers to Disclosure Older victims may not identify as victim of abuse. In some communities, there is a stigma attached to asking for help and the survivor may be unaware of available resources.

30. Created by FCADV 30 Barriers to Disclosure Having a medical condition or disability makes independent living difficult or impossible. Older adult may fear batterer loss of independence loss of caregiver or standard of care

31. Created by FCADV 31 Caregiver Dilemmas The victim may provide care for the batterer. The victim may be cared for by the batterer. When faced with a caregiver dilemma, the survivors ability to escape a violent home is complicated.

32. Created by FCADV 32 Oppression Older Americans may face systematic oppression on multiple levels Each individual may face some or all of the following institutionalized oppressions. Ageism, Sexism, Racism, Ableism, Classism, Homophobia

33. Created by FCADV 33 Oppressions and the Older Adult Add statistics of who are victims in this age group for each Add statistics of who are victims in this age group for each

34. Created by FCADV 34 Special Considerations:LGBT Elders Issues that LGBT elders face may be different than those faced by non-LGBT individuals and non-elders. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elder victims of sexual assault and domestic violence are a �nested� population that are frequently overlooked and/ or ignored.

35. Created by FCADV 35 Special Considerations:LGBT Elders Police and others have difficulty recognizing elders who may be in domestically violent relationships due to misperceptions of the older adult and battering. The combination of these two facts leaves many LGBT seniors ignored and overlooked by intervention services.

36. Created by FCADV 36

37. Created by FCADV 37 Special Considerations:Cultural Values and Elder Abuse People of color have experienced racism and oppression in different ways and varying degrees. For communities of color, elder abuse may be seen as a family problem and outside intervention may not be needed or tolerated.

38. Created by FCADV 38 Racism and Oppression Members of communities of color may be reluctant to report abuse due to further stigmatism of their community. Various cultural communities and elder abuse victims from these communities may have had poor experiences with law enforcement and social services.

39. Created by FCADV 39 Cultural Values and Elder Abuse Discussing elder abuse may be seen as rude in some cultures due to its personal nature. Service providers may find it useful to offer information in other contexts, such as health care. What APS and law enforcement may view as financial exploitation, extended families who reside together may view sharing resources as common practice.

40. Created by FCADV 40 Cultural Values Where some cultural norms may inhibit intervention, others can support it. African values of respect for elders and sharing may be especially important for African American survivors. For many Latinos, family is the source of strength and often elders hold a place of respect and authority. The positive influences of religion and spirituality can offer prevention and intervention tools.

41. Created by FCADV 41 Economic Barriers ofOlder Adults

42. Created by FCADV 42 Economic Barriers Senior women my lack job experience. Employers may be unwilling to employ women over 50. The cost of health insurance and professional caregivers limits her available options.

43. Created by FCADV 43 Economic Barriers Women ages 50-62 who do not have dependent children are not eligible for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or Social Security Retirement. Immigrants and undocumented workers may not be able to receive Social Security or other government benefits.

44. Created by FCADV 44 Intervention and Advocacy The intent of abuse or neglect determines best intervention. Protective and empowerment strategies differ in our responses to elder abuse.

45. Created by FCADV 45 Resources Insert local resources from your community.