Respect of the elderly is a major concept in many countries and especially in societies with teachings of respect of others (Buddhism and Hinduism). Asians in particular are taught that the elder generation should be revered and respected because they are the parents of that generation. However in the US many elderly people are mistreated and abused each year. They are physically, verbally, and mentally abused by their children or the people who work to care for them. Like everything that is shockingly wrong in the American society, abuse of the elderly is kept quiet and many cases are not reported.
Elderly people are mistreated and sometimes beaten just like little children. In their physical condition the elderly seem much like children because they have become weak and helpless. They depend on other to help them but they are often abused. Physical abuse particularly sickens me because how can someone beat their own helpless parents? Physical abuse comes in many forms. The elderly person can be beaten or disciplined (why would the elderly need to be disciplined?) to vigorously. This abuse often takes place in retirement homes because not many people would want to beat their parents. The beating is administered by strangers and the elderly and threatened that if they tell they would be killed (this enters verbal abuse also). The elderly can also be abused through negligence which means abandonment.
Among the abuses a person can suffer, verbal abuse can be the most common and most devastating abuse. Verbal abuse includes the swearing at the elderly (they are very emotional so why would someone swear at them for?) and talking about their abnormalities or their gender. The elderly are verbally abused everyday in front of their family and the world yet no one does anything because they let the crime slide. This is often caused by the thought that since the elderly don't contribute to society anymore they don't deserve to be treated as real people.