Abuse of elderly a growing problem in Japan

A legal framework and support systems are prerequisites to resolving the problem of elderly people being abused by relatives, according to the findings of a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry (Japan) survey.

The survey conducted late last year through early this year revealed that sons were the most common offenders and that one out of two abusers did not realize that what they were doing constituted abuse. It also revealed that 90 percent of nursing care managers found it difficult to effectively deal with cases of abuse after they had been identified.

Surveys conducted in the 1990s concluded that daughters-in-law were the prime offenders. However, the latest survey showed that 32 percent of abuses were committed by sons, with daughters-in-law responsible for 21 percent. Daughters of the elderly were abusers in 16 percent of the cases.

« This result is understandable under the current social situation, » Josai International University Visiting Prof. Yukie Nakamura said.

Nakamura learned that sons were responsible for 31 percent of abuse cases in her own survey conducted in four cities in Chiba Prefecture from 2001 to 2003. Nearly half of the cases involved elderly parents who lived with their sons’ families or unmarried sons.

« It can be stressful living with elderly people who need nursing. In some cases, sons abuse their mothers after being constantly nagged by their wives, upon whom the burden of caring for mothers-in-law often falls. An increase in the number of unmarried people in general has led to a rise in the number of single sons caring for elderly parents, » Nakamura said.

The problem of the lack of awareness of abuse may stem from the fact that many people do not realize that ignoring the elderly constitutes psychological abuse.

« There’s no way of preventing it if a person is not aware they are being abusive. We urgently need a law to prevent elderly people from being abused. We need to define what constitutes abuse and raise awareness of abuse, » said Soji Tanaka, the head of a society for prevention of elderly abuse.

Abusive conduct may escalate if the offender is not aware of being abusive. The latest ministry survey showed that in 10 percent of the abuse cases, lives had been put at risk.

Most nursing care managers surveyed said they felt the biggest problem was the aversion by an offender to having others intervene in the problem. Although care managers are most likely to spot abuse, they found it difficult to solve the problem without the involvement of an institution.

There is a law for preventing elderly abuse in the United States, where the problem is widely recognized. Most states have made it mandatory for anyone witnessing such abuse to inform a relevant institution, which investigates the case and provides counseling and temporary protection if necessary. The Swedish government also mandates reporting of such cases to welfare officers.

Although local governments are best positioned to address the issue, they are failing to properly respond to the problem.

Few of the 3,200 or so municipalities surveyed had set up systems to separate abused elderly people from their families, and only 71 had special teams to deal with such cases.

One that does is Yokosuka municipal government in Kanagawa Prefecture, which established a coordinated effort among medical, health care, welfare and police authorities three years ago to prevent elderly abuse. Last fiscal year, 75 cases were reported to the local government and some of the reports led to moving the victims into welfare facilities. In other cases, families were able to solve their problems after being advised to rely on nursing care services, which helps relieve the stress inherent in home nursing.

Attempts must be made by local governments to offer counseling for the elderly and their families regarding the issue and to provide extensive support. The central government also is urged to establish a legal system and educate the public for the purpose of protecting the lives of the elderly.