Some factors of abuse of the elderly is because more often than not one of the siblings will have to look after a very ill parent. Diseases such as Dementia (sister of Alzheimer's) and Alzheimer's is common and the elderly that are suffering from these terrible diseases can be very irrational; violent; getting up in the night and leaving the home not knowing where they are or where they are going; they can be demanding; say terrible things to their son or daughter, but it is the aging process that kills off brain cells so the elderly parent is a shadow of their former self. This in turn leaves the caregiver exhausted; hurt at some of the things their parent may say; frustrated and a feeling of desperation. Caregiving is often left up to the female of either the son of the elderly parent or their own parent and the Caregiver may be raising children; possibly working which is basically burning the candle at both ends. The caregiver may fear they will lash out verbally or physically because of their mixed feelings and some do. This is the time when they have to realize their aging parent needs to be put into a nursing home where trained nurses can handle the situation and proper medications given by doctors to help the aging parent.
