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Essay / Home Health Care for Rural Seniors - 1326
Home health care for rural seniors is in high demand. Many older adults need caregivers to help with meal preparation, household chores, transportation and companionship. Many older people in rural communities often live alone. Some have children who have moved away to seek a better lifestyle while others live in the same rural community but spend most of their time working and caring for their own families. Seniors who need home health care have difficulty finding trustworthy and reliable providers. Older people are often mistreated by their caregivers. The Connecticut Attorney General's Office provides a list of abuse issues facing older adults; passive negligence when those responsible for providing services do not perform their duties as expected; active neglect, willful refusal and failure to comply with custodial obligations; psychological abuse, humiliating behavior using verbal insults and profanity; material and financial abuse using client funds for personal purposes; and physical abuse any action by the caregiver that causes physical harm to the client. Some of these abusers may also be children who have been abused by their elderly parents. This list also includes factors contributing to isolation, dependence and abuse of authority, stereotypes that older people are frail, incompetent or helpless, lack of understanding of the aging process, substance abuse and mental, emotional or financial stress. These issues can cause serious problems for older people and many may end up in hospitals after months of rehabilitation following physical abuse, in nursing homes because they are no longer able to live on their own, they may become homeless due to financial ruin and, in some cases, even die. .I grew up...... middle of paper ......embers to become companions of the elderly in the church who have no family.Works Cited2009 Office of the Attorney General of the State of Connecticut Senior Alert Senior News Focus on Elder Abusehttp://www.ct.gov/ag/cwp/view.asp?A=2099&Q=434476Preventing Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation ( title VII-A3)Legislation authorizing: Section 721 of the Elderly Act of 1965, as amendedhttp://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Programs/Elder_Rights/EA_Prevention/index.aspxNational Center on Elder Abuse (Title II )Authorizing Legislation: Section 202(d) of the Elderly Americans Act of 1965, as amendedhttp://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Programs/Elder_Rights/NCEA/index.aspxReay, AMC & Browne, KD (2001 ) Characteristics of risk factors in careers who physically abuse or neglect their elderly dependents. Aging and mental health, vol. 5 (number 2) p56-62.