Bullying Can Occur in Senior Centers

An elder law attorney can help seniors to explore benefits, supports, and services within their community. In many cases, seniors are able to remain independent longer and are able to maintain their social connections by visiting senior centers that operate specialized programs for older people. Unfortunately, a recent article in The Day revealed that bullying can sometimes become a problem at senior centers.

If you are not able to effectively use local services because of bullying or other issues, you may need to explore benefits such as home healthcare aides or even moving to a nursing home.

An elder law attorney can help you to ensure you are able to obtain the benefits that you need without having to first impoverish yourself since Medicare doesn’t cover home health aides or nursing home care under most circumstances. You should contact Nirenstein, Horowitz & Associates for help as soon as possible.

Bullying Can Become a Problem at Senior Centers

According to The Day, many nursing homes, senior centers, and housing complexes for the elderly have been forced to introduce new policies, as well as programs and training, with the goal of curbing bullying.

The assistant director at one nursing home described the problem as being similar to Mean Girls, with cliques forming and some people being excluded. The Day even indicated that there have been many instances in which fistfights broke out as well as incidents involving gossip and people being turned away from tables at cafeterias.

In response to the problem, senior centers have worked with the Institute on Aging to develop anti-bullying programs. These programs typically involve staff members receiving training on the types of behavior that constitute bullying, causes of bullying, and techniques that can be used to effectively manage conflicts.

Courses are also given to seniors as well to encourage them to either alert members of the staff or personally intervene when they witness bullying. Some centers also put up signs as well, declaring that the centers are bullying free zones. The National Center for Assisted Living also circulated a booklet about bullying aimed at raising awareness of the problem and providing seniors with education and support.

Tackling the problem is important, as studies show that as many as one in five seniors experience bullying. Unfortunately, this often occurs because of frustrations that inherently arise when living in a communal setting. It is compounded because of frustration that many older people feel about the aging process, especially as seniors begin to feel that their sense of control is disappearing. Seniors who feel like they are no longer able to be independent may engage in bullying in order to try to regain some of the power that they have lost.

Although bullying among seniors is a major issue, it is not recognized as a problem as often as bullying among young people, and often even the seniors who are engaging in bullying are not aware of how their behavior is coming across to others until they are labeled as being bullies. This is especially true because most bullying that happens among seniors involves exclusion, rumors, and name calling.

Bullying can be emotionally and sometimes physically damaging to the seniors who experience it. It is important as a senior to make sure you have a supportive community and are able to get the services and assistance you need from people who treat you with respect.

Getting Help from an Elder Law Attorney

When you want to find out about benefits and services, or if you need help obtaining access to supportive services in your area, Nirenstein, Horowitz & Associates is here and ready to provide you with comprehensive help and support.

You should join us for a free seminar to find out more about the ways in which our legal team can help you. You can also give us a call at 860-548-1000 or contact us online to  get personalized help with gaining access to the benefits you need in your specific circumstances. Call today to talk with an elder law attorney who is ready to help you.