Elder Abuse on Film: A Geriatrician ’s Viewpoint.

This past Halloween weekend I stayed home with my wife and binge watched old horror films that included the suspense thriller, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, released in 1962. This film follows the twisted relationship of two aging sisters. Blanche, played by Joan Crawford, is paraplegic and wheelchair-confined, and Jane is a disgruntled and jealous former child star with a drinking problem, played by Bette Davis.  Both actresses give stunning performances in the twilight of their careers.  The film starkly depicts Jane’s horrific abuse of Blanche. As I watched the story unfold, I realized that it presents a portrayal of elder abuse, starkly illustrating various manifestations of this geriatric syndrome wrapped into one case. As a geriatrician, the scenes shared similarities with cases I had encountered over my three decades of practice. Blanche suffers several types of abuse at the hands of her sister, which can be classified as follows: * Verbal abuse. Blanche is called names and verbally demeaned by Jane. * Physical abuse. Blanche is struck several times in the movie by Jane, including one chilling scene where she is viciously kicked as she lay on the floor. * Deprivation of services. Blanche desperately tries to call a physician and Jane interrupts, making sure the doctor does not arrive. * Psychological abuse. Blanche is kept socially isolated by Jane, and the phone – her only means of communication with the outside world – is taken away. * Starvation and willf...
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: Art & Medicine Featured Medical Articles Geriatric Medicine elder abuse elder neglect geriatrics gerontology Jeff Levine MD Jeffrey M Levine MD Nursing Homes pressure injuries pressure sore pressure sores Source Type: blogs