Their ears are deaf because they do not understand English. Their mouths are mute because they do not speak English. The inability to adapt to Western ways, Fang says, causes elderly immigrants to become highly dependent on their children. She adds that many seniors don't know how or where to report abuse. So instead, they endure it.
Problems can escalate, and sometimes conflicts are irreparable.
Government Addresses Elder Abuse Elder abuse is not isolated to the home. The case brought to light the issue of elder abuse. And it spurred civil enforcement action against the owners of a chain of nursing homes, where more than 100 patients allegedly suffered from abuse. Investigators found over two dozen different types of violations, ranging from unsanitary conditions to physical abuse. Prior to the civil enforcement action, a 1998 report by then-Senator Bill Lockyer revealed that only 20 percent of all Los Angeles county adult protective service agencies had adequate resources to respond to cases of senior abuse.