Huffington post notes that “elder abuse is a women’s issue”

May 12, 2009

By Martha Burk, Political psychologist, co-founder, Center for Advancement of Public Policy:

“Mother’s Day is over for another year, but there’s a hidden problemwith many of our mothers that just goes on and on. Take the case ofRuth, an 89-year-old woman who was in fairly good health when sheentered an Iowa nursing home for physical therapy in 2008. When sheleft to go home 25 days later, Ruth’s leg was rotting and consumed bygangrene. She died three months later. State and federal officialsrightly called it neglect, and fined the nursing home $112,650.

The nursing home owner is of course contesting the ruling. He runs alobbying organization and is complaining about the fine to Iowalegislators, accusing the inspections department of “flogging” nursinghomes and blocking seniors’ access to care by imposing huge fines.

Ruth’s case, highlighted in the Elder Abuse: A Women’s Issue,the annual Mother’s Day report being released today on Capitol Hillfrom Older Women’s League (OWL), is by no means an isolated one.Domestic and institutional elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation causeserious harm to anywhere from 500,000 to 5 million individuals in theUnited States every year. Females make up approximately 66% of thevictims. That means up to 3 million older women are battered, beaten,swindled, or neglected by relatives and so-called caregivers. “