Elder “Neglect” is sometimes considered in two general forms: self-neglect and neglect by others. The National Centers on Elder Abuse characterization of self-neglect as “…the behavior of an elderly person that threatens his/her health and safety.” This places the causal responsibility on the individual and doesn’t require the withholding of care by any “trusted other.” A recent population study by Burnes et al. (2015) defined neglect as, “the failure of a responsible caregiver to meet the elderly adult needs,” these needs being defined by activities and instrumental activities of daily living. Many neglect definitions include manifestations such as refusal or failure to provide an elderly person with such life necessities as food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, personal safety, and other essentials included in an implied or agreed-upon responsibility to an elder. The focus on neglect, willful, or otherwise, by others, is common in definitions. In fact, the World Health Organization defines elder abuse in part as a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action in a relationship where there is the expectation of trust.
Burnes, D., Pillemer, K., Caccamise, P. L., Mason, A., Henderson Jr, C. R., Berman, J., ... & Lachs, M. S. (2015). Prevalence of and risk factors for elder abuse and neglect in the community: a population‐based study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 63(9), 1906-1912.
