Caregiver Assaults Elderly Who Are Unable to Resist
‘Caregiver Assault’ Issue Worsens as Family Visits Restricted Due to COVID-19
Experts: "Elderly Are in an 'Abuse Blind Spot'... Government Must Step Up for Systematic Management"
Abuse issues, including physical assault against elderly individuals with physical disabilities in facilities, continue to arise. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article.
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] As incidents of abuse against elderly people who cannot resist in care facilities continue to occur, distrust toward these facilities is growing. It is pointed out that elderly individuals, due to physical limitations, have difficulty expressing their intentions and thus fall into a 'blind spot' for abuse. Experts suggest that the government should systematically manage manpower and service quality in the caregiving sector to prevent elder abuse.
According to media reports on the 23rd, an elderly patient A, who was undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation hospital, was assaulted by caregiver B. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer at the end of August last year, A was hospitalized in the rehabilitation hospital due to physical weakness, and communication with family was difficult as hospital visits were restricted due to COVID-19.
The incident came to light when an anonymous whistleblower who witnessed the assault recorded it and handed several videos to A's son. The footage shows B pushing A's forehead, causing him to fall, and assaulting him with fists and palms while saying "Lie down, lie down." In another video, presumed to be from a different day, A is seen pleading with both hands toward B, asking him not to hit.
After learning the truth belatedly, A's family took action by filing a complaint against B with the police. B partially admitted to the assault during police questioning. A's son expressed guilt, saying that due to COVID-19 restrictions on hospital visits, they had no choice but to fully trust the caregiver with his father. It appears that abuse continued as family members could not directly communicate with the patient due to these restrictions.
At a senior day care center in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk, the facility director and caregivers assaulted an elderly dementia patient in their 80s. Photo by Online Community Capture.
Such elder abuse in facilities continues to occur without pause. There was a revelation that an elderly person in their 80s with dementia at a day care center for the elderly in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk, was collectively assaulted by the facility director and caregivers. Subsequently, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage confirmed the assaults by facility staff. The video shows staff grabbing the elderly woman by her hair, dragging her around, and pressing her body down with their knees, inflicting indiscriminate violence.
C, who disclosed this on an online community on the 6th, said, "(At first) the center director claimed the elderly woman caused a disturbance and slapped a staff member, and my aunt even apologized," adding, "Contrary to the staff member’s statement that she was slapped, the CCTV footage shows the elderly woman being collectively assaulted by three staff members including the director. My grandmother is in her 80s, has level 4 dementia, and weighs barely 42 kg. (Since the incident) she wakes up startled even while sleeping, and the family is going through terrible days."
The victim is currently receiving hospital treatment after being diagnosed with three fractured ribs and a six-week recovery period. The police announced on the 18th that they will send the facility director and staff to the prosecution on charges including violation of the Elderly Welfare Act.
The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article.
With rapid aging, the number of people needing 'elderly care' is increasing, but ongoing issues of elder abuse in facilities have led to growing distrust. Experts advise that systematic government-level management of facility personnel and service quality is necessary to prevent elder abuse.
Professor Lee Bong-ju of Seoul National University’s Department of Social Welfare said, "Elderly people often have mobility difficulties and low ability to express their intentions, lacking the capacity to report or resist abuse," adding, "With COVID-19 making facility access difficult, even if elders are abused, their condition cannot be checked, leading to frequent neglect."
Professor Lee further explained, "Ultimately, to solve the problem of elder abuse in facilities, the government must step in to manage manpower and service quality," emphasizing, "Job planning and training should be systematized, and even those currently working should undergo periodic refresher training. Also, since caregivers face poor working conditions making it difficult to attract skilled personnel, the government needs to improve this aspect as well."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
