What is elder abuse and why does it matter to you? by Alexis

What is elder abuse and why does it matter to you? by Alexis - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

Elder abuse is defined as an intentional act that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult. More than 1 in 10 older people have been subject to some form of abuse. The most common form of elder abuse is with reference to the elder’s money.

Growing up my gram was always at my house, there was rarely a time when we were apart. She would take us mostly to the Maine State Museum in Augusta and to McDonald’s. It was always our go to summer day, it didn’t matter where we went many laughs were had. Growing up gram was always so cheery and always sang to us and told us she loved us “Big as the World.” She became forgetful and confused which wasn't a big deal she began making lists for herself to remember the things she couldn't remember on her own. Because she was unable to do simple things, she became depressed in knowing that she couldn’t function on her own they she had before. She ended up getting a divorce and moving into an apartment by herself, which made things worse. She stopped being able to run the remote. Once she brushed her teeth with arthritis ointment.

In the course of some years, she began forgetting greater things. My brother and I slowly became the boy and the girl. She stopped driving by orders of her doctor. She ended up walking to the gas station and forgot where she lived. A stranger picked her up in her car and began looking for where she lived. My gram being religious, asked to pray with the woman. Gram ended up taking the women to an early apartment she had had miles from where she really lived. The landlord of her old apartment recognized her and called my mother.

For a while Grams emotions were like a roller coaster. She turned from laughing to crying to being angry with my mom, her main caregiver. My mom watched her checkbook carefully because she was on the phone with a stranger. They were so adamant about her reading them the numbers off of the bottom of her checks. My mom brought her to the bank and the bank froze her account so the people would not have cashed the 600 dollar check they were stealing from my grandmother.

In November of 2015, my family made the decision to place my gram in an assisted living home in Millinocket, Maine. My gram originally lived and raised her family there. Since then, her medication has been sorted out after many rounds to the doctor's office. She is finally happy again with her family. She has been diagnosed with Dementia. I always just think of the great times had, they will remain in my memory forever. Elder abuse is important to me because it has affected someone near and dear to my heart. To many more memories.