Q – Why do seniors suffer elder abuse in silence?

A – While to outsiders, it may seem like there’s an easy answer for those who suffer from elder abuse; don’t put up with it! But for seniors who are victims of elder abuse, scenarios are far more complex than we could ever imagine from the outside looking in.

It is true that many seniors suffer in silence, and it’s because they live in fear of the repercussions if they tell someone about the abuse their experiencing. Their fears, however, are not typically based in the concern that the abuse might get worse, but that telling someone might take the abuser out of their life forever.

Often seniors find themselves abused by the hands of their own senior caregivers, and many times, the person responsible for their care and abuse alike is a family member. Many seniors fear that by talking about the abuse, the caregiver will leave which will change the senior’s lifestyle drastically. For many seniors, the option is care at home with a family member, or moving to a nursing home or assisted living facility where they fear they’ll suffer an even worse fate by way of an ultimate loss of independence. For many seniors, it’s a better option to take the abuse and continue to suffer in silence.