Elder domestic violence refers to domestic abuse that occurs between adults who are in the older demographic. You may think that domestic violence is domestic violence, so why have a separate category for elderly people? Well, in one sense you are right, abuse is abuse in whatever form, however with regard to the elder sector of society, the types of abuse and the reasons for the abuse may differ.
There are considered to be three sub-categories of elder domestic abuse (Seaver, 1996) and they are:
Certain behaviours related to domestic violence occur more with regard to older people. Given the potentially fragile nature of an elderly person it is not surprising to learn that fatalities are more likely to occur. “Elder murder” is a term often given to a fatality that is unlawful but has been made to appear natural. These often involve actions such as strangulation or asphyxiation and will leave no apparent evidence. Other methods of “Elder Murder” include poisoning (including via prescription medication) and the claim of assisted suicide. To take this one step further, police have investigated a number of suspected ‘double suicides’ of partners, only to discover that one of the partners has defensive wounds, and was clearly not complicit in the action.
In essence many of the behaviours common in younger domestic abuse cases are the same in elder relationships (e.g. economic abuse, using intimidation, using male privilege etc…) In this passage we will consider types of behaviours and scenarios that are exclusive to elder domestic abuse. Whilst the list is not exhaustive, it gives a good example of the types of issues that an abused elderly woman can face.
This refers to leaving the vulnerable elderly person in any public setting, such as a hospital or care home. Abandonment is very similar to ‘neglect’, it is true of both that the perpetrator has a responsibility for the woman’s well-being. It is not uncommon to find that the motive for abandonment is financial. With the woman out of the way the man is free to plunder her savings.
As with other forms of domestic violence, sexual abuse refers to actions such as rape and sexual assault. However with regard to the elderly, we have to consider mental capability. Is the woman able to consent? Does the woman understand what ‘consenting’ means? What diagnoses does the woman have? For example a woman suffering from late stage dementia maybe able to agree to sexual intercourse – but does she fully understand what this means? The responsibility lies with the man, he should be expected to know the mental state of the woman, and it is his responsibility not to breach this position of trust. In the case of the mentally impaired and sexual abuse, convictions can be difficult to obtain by the authorities.
Neglect refers to the failure of a partner or caregiver to provide necessary treatment, assistance and healthcare to another. This may include failing to provide sanitary facilities, medication, food, water or protection against hazards. It is clear that caregivers have a duty to provide these services and to knowingly withhold them is to neglect another person.
There are many other types of behaviour that are more likely to occur within the confines of elder domestic abuse. These may include violating a partners rights, such as the right to confidentiality, or the right to refuse medication. Abduction, whereby the woman is refused the right to return home is another more common occurrence with elder domestic violence.
What is different in the terms of domestic abuse of the elderly is that sometimes (as in the case of neglect and abandonment) the abusive behaviour involves doing nothing. It could almost be viewed as a passive abuse (though this could be fiercely argued.) Whereas in younger domestic abuse scenarios, the abuser has to ‘actively’ abuse.