Rapid aging of Taipei’s population is accompanied with an increase in domestic violence against elderly people due to dementia-related symptoms and behavior, said Chen Chun-you (陳俊佑), the director of the social worker division at Taiwan Catholic Foundation of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia.
Chen said that more than 380,000 individuals over the age of 65 reside in Taipei, accounting for 14 percent of the total population in the municipality, adding that over the past three years the municipality has seen a 3 percent increase in domestic violence involving elderly residents and their relatives.
Relatives of patients with dementia are either unaware of the symptoms or do not provide sufficient care for the patient, causing conflict between couples or family members, said Chen Shu-Chuan (陳淑娟), the director of Taipei City Center for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
Sixteen percent of cases of domestic violence this year involved people who are at least 65 years old, Chen Shu-chuan said, adding that of the 16 percent, 13 percent of the cases were caused by dementia or related medical conditions, with the other 3 percent resulting from relatives unable to take the stress of caring for dementia patients.
People over 65 years old have a 1.2 percent chance to develop dementia and the risk is doubled every five years, Chen Chun-you said.
Clinical data shows that interaction between dementia patients and their spouses is the most difficult and rife with conflict, and other relatives might develop psychiatric disorders, Chen Shu-chuan said.
Initial dementia symptoms include erratic mood swings, hallucinations, sleeping disorders, or a suspicion that their spouse is cheating on them, Chen Chun-you said, adding that family members could utilize the Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire to test elderly people and assess the situation.
If relatives notice an older family member becoming overtly suspicious, making repeated actions or other symptoms signifying a regression of cognitive functions, they should take them to a hospital for treatment as soon as possible, Chen Chun-you said, adding that it would prevent domestic violence to a large degree.
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