• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Parman & Easterday

Oklahoma Estate Planning Attorneys

Call Now: (405) 843-6100 |
(918) 615-2700

Attend an Education Program-Oklahoma City Area Attend An Education Program in the Tulsa Area
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • What Our Clients Say
  • Estate Planning
    • Asset Protection
    • Business Succession Planning
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Financial Planning Assistance
    • IRA and Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • Powers of Attorney
    • Probate
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration and Probate
    • Young Families
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Elder Law
    • Emergency Medicaid
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veteran’s Benefits
  • Resources
    • Asset Protection Worksheet
    • DocuBank
    • Elder Law
      • Elder Law & Medicaid Definitions
      • Elder Law Reports
      • Elder Law Resources
        • Edmond Elder Law
        • Oklahoma City Elder Law
        • Overland Park Elder Law
        • Yukon Elder Law
      • Medicaid
      • Nursing Home Resources
    • Estate Planning
      • An Overview of Estate and Gift Taxes
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
        • Advanced Estate Planning
        • Basic Estate Planning
        • Estate Planning for Niches
        • Trust Administration
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Free Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Alzheimer’s FAQs
      • Asset Protection Planning
      • Estate Planning
      • Elder Law
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Inheritance Planning for Minors
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Nursing Home Asset Protection
      • Probate
      • Trust Administration
      • Trust Administration & Probate
      • Wills and Trusts
    • Newsletters
    • Probate and Trust Administration
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss of a Loved One
      • Probate Checklist
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
    • Probate Resources
      • Midwest City Probate
      • Moore Probate
      • Oklahoma City Probate
      • Overland Park Probate
    • Published Books
    • Pre Consultation Form
  • Communities We Serve
    • Edmond
    • Midwest City
    • Moore
    • Norman
    • Oklahoma City
    • Yukon
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • BLOG
  • Contact Us
Home » Elder Law » The Elderly Can Be Victims of Bullying, Too

The Elderly Can Be Victims of Bullying, Too

October 11, 2018 by Larry Parman, Attorney at Law

bullying

Thanks in large part to a massive campaign waged by educators, private advocacy groups, and parents, most of us think of school-age children when we hear cries to “stop bullying.” We envision children being excluded on the playground or gossiped about online or in the lunchroom. According to a recent news article, however, the elderly can be victims of bullying, too.

Senior Center Altercations

The recent article in The Oklahoman is a cause for reflection.  It forces us to confront the bullying that seniors, like their younger counterparts, face regularly. At a local senior housing project, two residents got into an argument over who could sit at a certain dining-hall table. The altercation led to shoving and hitting, followed by a cup of coffee being thrown at one of the women, reported the newspaper. The fight had to be broken up by some of the staff.

At an Oklahoma City assisted living center, a new senior resident was flatly told by other residents that she couldn’t sit at several lunch tables because they were “saved.” The rejected woman broke down in tears afterward and stayed in her room for the meal.

“Unfortunately, age does not discriminate when it comes to these ‘bullying’ incidents,” said Mary Brinkley, executive director of LeadingAge Oklahoma, which provides services to some 100 nursing homes and other long-term facilities. “Statistics show bullying involves 10 percent to 20 percent of all seniors” living in long-term care facilities, Brinkley noted.

Verbal abuse, snubbing, pettiness, cruelty, gossiping, rumors and exclusion – behaviors that most of us associate with middle school children – are examples of the type of bullying faced by seniors, according to one local eldercare official.

“Neurological disease in the elderly also is one of the causes and contributing factors. For others, it is triggered by depression or loneliness, which might come from a change in their ‘home’ setting,” Brinkley said.  “Keep in mind, bullying is something that some have done throughout their life; so it doesn’t necessarily become more prevalent with increased age,” the LeadingAge Oklahoma official added.

How Can We Stop Bullying of the Elderly?

Knowing that our older loved ones are being subjected to bullying is an eye-opener. Now that we know, however, the obvious question becomes, how do we stop it? Better yet, how can senior centers and long-term care facilities prevent elder bullying in the first place?  “All providers must continue to monitor and protect against any instances that could affect the quality of life for other seniors,” Brinkley said.   Blair Schoeb, executive director of the Areawide Aging Agency in central Oklahoma, said to address the problem, long-term care facilities need plenty of trained staff who can help residents spread “hospitality and benevolence.”

Schoeb emphasized that bullying has both perpetrators and victims.  “We know that some people, as they age, withdraw from social interaction due to their physical condition. These people probably appear to be an easy target for someone who has a history of being a bully,” Schoeb said.  “Senior bullying includes both men and women … because I don’t think gender is any more of an issue than bullying in children, adolescents, adults or elders,” he said.

One of the biggest hurdles to addressing elder bullying is the same one found when trying to stop elder abuse – victims rarely come forward and report the problem. Sadly, elder victims are often ashamed to be a victim of anything, and therefore fail to report the problem. In addition, bullying can occur within the family, making victims fear reprisals for speaking up. If you have an elder loved one who you believe might be the victim of bullying, try talking to him or her. Speak to caregivers and ask them to watch for signs of bullying. Picking on someone weaker or more vulnerable than you is no more acceptable as a senior than it was as a child.

Contact Oklahoma City Elder Law Attorneys

For additional information on how to protect the elderly, please join us for an upcoming FREE seminar. If you have questions or concerns regarding elder law matters,  contact the experienced elder law attorneys at Parman & Easterday by calling 405-843-6100 in Oklahoma City in Overland Park, KS to schedule your appointment today.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Larry Parman, Attorney at Law
Larry Parman, Attorney at Law
Founder and Owner at Parman & Easterday
After helping his own family deal with a lengthy probate and the IRS following his father’s untimely death in a farm accident, Larry Parman made a decision to help families create effective estate plans designed to reduce taxes, minimize legal interference with the transfer of assets to one’s heirs, and protect his clients’ assets from predators and creditors.
Larry Parman, Attorney at Law
Latest posts by Larry Parman, Attorney at Law (see all)
  • Why Do You Need an Elder Law Attorney? - January 31, 2023
  • Inheritance Planning for Blended Families - January 26, 2023
  • 4 Things Trusts Do That Wills Can’t Do - January 24, 2023

Filed Under: Elder Law

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Why Do You Need an Elder Law Attorney?
Medicaid planning
6 Things You Should Know About Long-Term Care for Seniors
Medicaid planning Medicare limitations
Don’t Expect Too Much From Medicare
long-term care insurance
Is Long-Term Care Insurance Recommended?
Medicaid spousal allowances elder law
Is My Spouse Left With Nothing If I Use Medicaid for Nursing Home Expenses?
elder law aging in place
Consider the Benefits of Aging in Place

Primary Sidebar

Parman & Easterday, LLP

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE ESTATE PLANNING CHECKLIST

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Where We Are

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
13913 Quail Pointe Drive, Suite B
Oklahoma City, OK 73134
Phone: (405) 843-6100
Fax: (405) 917-7018

MAP

parman_sidbr_map

Where We Are

TULSA, OK
Memorial Place 7633 E. 63rd Place
Tulsa, OK 74133
Phone: (918) 615-2700

MAP

parman_sidbr_map

Office Hours

Monday9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Footer

footer-logo

The information on this Oklahoma Law Firm website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

Oklahoma City Estate Planning Attorneys at Parman & Easterday offer estate planning services in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and surrounding areas. Contact us for help today.

Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys


© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube