The U.S. Administration on Aging defines elder abandonment as “the desertion of an elderly person by an individual who has assumed responsibility for providing care for an elder, or by a person with physical custody of an elder.” Causes of abandonment vary depending upon culture. Traditional societies may abandon the aged to increase the chance of survival for the group. In modern societies, seniors are abandoned for financial and social reasons. Elders have been abandoned in hospitals, nursing facilities, and public places. Not providing needed care is also abandonment. Abandonment can result in criminal charges.
Nomadic and Tribal Societies
Jared Diamond, UCLA professor of geography and physiology, notes that traditional nomadic tribes abandon their elderly when they become too ill to travel as the only other option would be for the young to transport them on their backs. In times of famine, tribes are known to abandon the elderly to ensure enough food for the young. Despite these heartbreaking realities, traditional tribal societies also value the elderly as sources of oral history, traditions, and domestic and child-rearing assistance.
Traditional Eastern Societies
Traditionally, Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese cultures have held elders in high regard, according to Culturally Competent Care. Chinese respect for the elderly stems from the teachings of Confucius. In China the eldest son has special obligations to provide care. Vietnamese elders are often leaders. In Korea, special celebrations are held for sixtieth and seventieth birthdays.
Modern Societies
In both the west and east, the elderly are at risk of abandonment. Florida’s WFTV reports a rising number of elders left in hotels by family. In Singapore, known for its reverence toward the aged, elders are allowed to sue their children for support; the number suing is at an all-time high, and the home for those abandoned is “always full.” Alison Parsons, nursing unit manager on a geriatric unit in Sydney, Australia, writes that in hospitals, the elderly are not deemed worth treatment. She believes this is due to the media’s focus on youth and vitality.
Criminal Charges
While physical or sexual abuse of the elderly is a crime in all states, abandoning an elder is a third-degree crime in New Jersey. Those who have a legal duty or who have “assumed continuing responsibility” to care for a person over 60 can be charged if they fail to address the elder’s physical or mental health. New York punishes abandonment or confinement of the elderly. Outside the United States, India has passed a law to punish children who abandon elderly parents.
Edler’s Strengths
Diamond writes that elders are erroneously not seen as valuable members of society. Up-to-date information can be gleaned from the Internet; there is no reason to ask an older person’s advice. But he continues to note that elders value lies in “their deeper understanding of human relationships and their ability to think across wide-ranging disciplines, to strategize, and share what they’ve learned.
Sources
Asia Times Online: Singapore faces a ‘silver tsunami,’ M.Wijaya, August 2009.
AOA: National Center on Elder Abuse; Major Types of Elder Abuse
CIAP: “Attitudes to the elderly,’ A. Parsons.
Law Server: New Jersey Statutes 2C:24-8 – Abandonment, Neglect of Elderly Person, Disabled Adult; Third Degree Crime
My Nation Foundation–News: India Passes Law to Punish Children Who Abandon Elderly Parents
Pearson Education: Culturally Competent Care: How Different Cultures View Elders
SHouse Law Group: California Elder Abuse Laws
WFTV.com9: Adult Children Abandoning Parents at Hotels
UCLA Today, “Honor or abandon: Societies’ treatment of elderly intrigues scholar,” J. Lin, Jan. 2010
