As a culture, we’re pretty well aware of child abuse.  Domestic abuse also registers pretty strongly on our radar these days.  Awareness is lagging, though, when it comes to elder abuse.

Believe it or not, there are people out there who take advantage of and abuse eldery people.  Often, the elderly don’t have very good memories, and of course they are usually in no condition to defend themselves either, so elder abuse is just as serious an issue as the abuse of small children — even if it’s not as widely publicized.

Thankfully, awareness is growing.  There are many good elder abuse resources for those who suspect someone they know is a victim — or for the victims themselves.  People caring for their aging parents are also more aware of the dangers, and are being more proactive about making sure their parents are cared for someone who has been through direct care worker training or a similar program.

As awareness of elder abuse grows, it should be even more clear why good caregiver training programs are a necessity for anyone who is working with elderly people.  Be sure any caregiver you hire has this qualification!  Likewise, people who are caring for their parents or aging relatives on their own should take some classes themselves to make sure they know reasonably well what they are doing.