President Eisenhower and the NATO Essay Example for Free

President Eisenhower and the NATO Essay Stephen Ambrose, in his book Eisenhower: The President (pp. 215 – 216) gives a picture of the president as the driving force behind the NATO solution embodied in the Paris accords of late 1954. Is he right or wrong? The abrupt end of the World War II following the bombing of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki using atomic bombs heralded a period of heightened tension between the Western World represented by the US and the Eastern World represented by Soviet Union. Each of the two sides formed a myriad of alliances in bid to assert themselves across the face of the world. NATO was one such alliance that was purposely formed by the Capitalists (US and allies) to contain Communists (Soviet and allies). Though initially the alliance was more of a political organization than a military one, subsequent happenings in Europe, particularly the Korean War electrified the member states into forming a strong military alliance, with an integrated military structure built under the direction of two US military commanders, one of them Eisenhower. The militarization of the alliance was necessary especially having in mind that the opposing blocs (communists) were in the process of building their own strong military arsenals and therefore there was need for a balance of power between the two blocs. Again, this was a period marked by costly defense spending, immense conventional and nuclear arms race, and a number of proxy wars. [Rosenberg, 1979] In his book, Ambrose seeks to differ with Eisenhower’s friends as well as critics who regarded him as largely unprepared for the presidency. He depicts Eisenhower as one person who carried the best credentials among persons to ever been elected to the Presidency, particularly in matters concerning foreign affairs. Ambrose has got all the reasons to throw his weight behind Eisenhower’s foreign relations capabilities, given the success that he (Eisenhower) achieved when he served at various military ranks in international duty during the World Wars and the Cold War, the most notable one being his appointment as the first commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). [Ambrose, 1984] Until his election as the 34th US President, Eisenhower was serving as the supreme commander of the NATO forces in Europe. Moreover, in his inaugural speech he vowed to use his experience to end the Korean War. Being an experienced soldier and therefore understanding the painful impact of the modern weapons than any other person, he resolved to appeal for peace. To achieve this he advocated for high level of cooperation among the nations even among those who disagreed. He rejected the notion of an isolated America from the rest of the world, save behind its nuclear shield. He harbored the argument that active participation of the US in the world affairs was the most appropriate method of making sure that democracy was achieved in nations that were susceptible to the encroachment of Communism. He also harbored the belief that sustained dialogue between the US and the Soviet would be the best option for the provision of security to the entire world. To achieve this, he advocated for military and economic unification of the nations that formed the Western alliance, since according to him that was the only avenue for providing the much needed peace and freedom in the Western Europe. For example, he pursued the reinforcement of NATO’s southern flank by helping Italian-Yugoslavian struggle over Trieste and proposed at the Geneva summit meeting a shared aerial inspection, a move that was aimed at preventing a surprise nuclear attack. He also proposed for a project known as ‘atoms for peace’ program, that sought to provide loans to American uranium to ‘have not’ nations for peaceful purposes. [Boll, 1988] In what seems to a support for the argument that Eisenhower understood the painful repercussions of war, Campbell Craig claims that Eisenhower used the policy of nuclear weapons deterrence to scare his advisors to shy from pushing him to declare war against the communists, and also to deter the communists themselves into going into war with the West, represented by the US. In his book Destroying the Village: Eisenhower and Thermonuclear War; Campbell Craig argues that Eisenhower’s policy of defending the United States international interests was through general thermonuclear war. [Craig, 1998: p. xi] He reasons that between 1956 and 1957 Eisenhower rearranged the official American basic security policy in a way that, in the event of a war with the Soviet Union, the war would automatically escalate into general thermonuclear war. [p. 67]. The very threat of a thermonuclear war would serve as a deterrence of such a war on a national level since the US policy makers will definitely resist escalation in a crisis. Craig puts it this way, â€Å"Eisenhower’s strategy to evade nuclear war was to make American military policy so dangerous that his advisors would find it impossible to push Eisenhower towards war and away from compromise. † [p. 69]. This also served as deterrence to the Soviet Union as the prospect of going into a war that would escalate into thermonuclear war was so scarring. A fair analysis on Craig’s work is that, it is short of neither supporting the use of rigid defense of nuclear weapons nor rejecting their strategic use. Consequently, Craig does not seem to support or refute the claim that Eisenhower was directly behind the NATO solution to the encroachment of the Soviet Union and its allies. He lets his audience to make a conclusion; however, his arguments seem to lean more on the notion that Eisenhower used nuclear weapon diplomacy and the strengthening of the NATO and unification of the states that formed the treaty. He argues that â€Å"American avoidance of nuclear war †¦ did not just â€Å"happen. † Actual people, above all Eisenhower, sought to evade nuclear war; many powerful figures at the center of decision believed that such a war was justifiable and regularly called for steps that would have begun one. [P. xii] Soman argues that, during the period of crisis, between the years 954-1955, the Eisenhower’s administration was mainly concerned on the fate of the treaty for the Western European Union and the admission of Germany to NATO, which was to be ratified by the European nations. Particularly, the secretary of state, John Foster Dulles was filled with the fear that any event leading to a war with China that would involve nuclear weapons would move the European opinion away from the United States and therefore leading doubts on the ratification of the treaty. Soman argues that Eisenhower’s success just like many other US Presidents of post-World War II era in maintaining the United States national security and the strengthening of the NATO in the face of military threats from the Soviets was through the use of nuclear weapon diplomacy. For instance, he explains how American atomic capabilities contributed to the working out of a truce in the North Korean war. He reasons that, Eisenhower had no option in the use of nuclear diplomacy to counter the encroachment of the Soviet Union and its allies: he had inherited â€Å"†¦ a stalemated war in the Korea, a costly military build up, and armed forces that despite nearly three years of massive conventional rearmament still left the United States heavily dependent on atomic arsenal. † [Soman, 2000: p. 36] He therefore chose to reject any Soviet proposal to ban nuclear weapons knowing very well that this was his only trump card.

Human Rights in the Workplace

Human Rights in the Workplace Konark Nanda The legal environment is critical to Canadian labour relations. Employment standards legislation mandates the minimum terms of employment such as minimum vacations, holidays and wages. These provide a floor for the negotiation of collective agreements. Any contract terms relating to issues covered by employment standards legislation must provide at least the minimum rights provided in the legislation. Human rights legislation prohibits discrimination and harassment and imposes a duty to accommodate. All jurisdictions have their own human rights legislation. This legislation and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are the basis for the law relating to discrimination in each jurisdiction. Human rights legislation in each jurisdiction in Canada sets out prohibited grounds of discrimination. There are several prohibited grounds that apply to all jurisdictions in Canada, certain protections are not assured in every part of Canada. Discrimination based on age, marital status, physical or mental disability, and sexual orientation are found in federal and human rights laws throughout Canada; demographic factors such as family status, pardoned convictions, and gender identity do not fall within protected ground in several federal or provincial human rights code. Human rights are important in the relationships that exist between individuals and the government that has power over them. The government exercises power over its people. However, human rights mean that this power is limited. Provinces must look after the basic needs of the people and protect some of their freedoms. Ontarios Human Rights Code, the first in Canada, was enacted in 1962. The Code states that every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination or harassment because of race, ancestry, place of origin, color, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability (Rights Commission, 2016). Discrimination happens in several ways. It can be direct, indirect, or systemic. Discrimination can also be things like reprisal, a poisoned environment, harassment, or racial profiling. Direct discrimination means discriminating against someone because you think they are different from you. It includes practices or behaviors that have a negative effect of a person or a group of people who belong to a ground listed under the Code. It doesnt matter that you didnt intend to treat them differently. What matters is whether your actions or what you said results in discrimination. Constructive discrimination refers to a neutral rule that has an adverse impact on an individual because of prohibited grounds of discrimination; it may be unintentional. Systemic discrimination may be part of a system, like how decisions are made, and the practices and policies, or the culture of the organization. For example, the head of the company likes golf, and only wants to promote managers who play golf. In human rights legislation, there is a duty to accommodate that requires measure to be adopted preventing people from being adversely affected by workplace requirements based on a prohibited ground of discrimination. Government Objectives in Labour Relations Government plays an important role in the regulation of labour relations process. Government has made bodies to oversee key processes such as union organizing, contract negotiations and the administration of the collective agreement. Government regulates the labour relations outcomes by overlooking agreements, strikes, and lockout. Government has to intervene in labour relations as they could affect the economy by causing inflationary pressure. To protect public interest and limit disruption of the public, governments can seek to avoid strikes and lockouts through labour legislation that places restriction on strikes and lockouts, assistance during negotiating in the form of conciliation and mediation and back to work legislation. Government regulates economy, control inflation and unemployment through monetary and fiscal policies. Government regulates market practices and results with minimum terms of employment and human rights legislations. Role of Unions in Labour Relations Unions are key actors in the labour relations system. The main objectives of unions are to improve the terms and conditions of work, protect arbitrary management action, providing conflict resolution and employee input and pursuing social and economic change. Unions try to achieve these objectives by organizing employees, contract negotiations, strikes and boycotts, grievances and arbitration, court / legal actions, political activities, union management collaborations and other unilateral actions. Role of Management In the private sector management has two main core objectives: the maximization of profit and maintaining control over the business. In the public and nonprofit sectors, employers seek to balance operating budgets, comply with government policy initiatives and meet the demands for the public services at reasonable costs. The management must achieve its objectives while taking care of its employees and not discriminating against them. The management has a duty to accommodate its employees till the time it does not cause them undue hardship. Possible measure to accommodate are allowing a period of absence from work, reduced hours, transfer to an alternate job, training to facilitate a move to another job. Certification Process in Ontario When the union applies to the board, the union must establish that it is a trade union as defined in the labour relations legislation, the application is timely, the group of employees specified in the application is an appropriate bargaining unit and the union has adequate support of employees in the proposed unit. In the beginning of the certification process Ontario government makes the union send out a notification of application to both the employer and any current union(s). Certification package is send out by union that is described in Ontario Labour Relations boards (OLRB) and this information is also available to other parties to prepare their responses to the application. Then the union makes its application to the ORLB, along with membership evidence gather in the organizing campaign that it considers appropriate for a collective bargaining unit. All the parties are then contacted by OLRB to ensure that the notification has occurred, the employer post a notice to the employees in the work place informing them that a vote will be held. All the unions and the employers representing the effected employees give feedback to the OLRB within two days of the application being filed. The information normally includes the actual number of employees in the bargaining unit proposed by the union and any alternating bargaining unit proposed, while listing this information employers must decide if its challenging the union application under section 8.1 of Ontario labor relation act 1995. Based on the information provided by the union, OLRB decides to sanction it if it appears the union has the support of at least 40% of the employees in the bargaining unit which is being proposed and if thats the case then a secret ballot vote is held in the work place within five days of filling the application, board has the power to change the time line if necessary. The voters whose eligibility to vote is in doubt and then they later become eligible, then their names are written on the envelope and dropped in ballot box. The OLRB holds a secret ballot vote. Anyone who is in the bargaining unit in the union that has applied for the certification can vote. If the majority (50% + 1) of workers who caste vote to unionize, the union is certified. On the off chance that the assentation cant be achieved, a hearing before the OLRB will be planned for four weeks after the vote. Its possible that the vote wont be numbered until after the board issues its choice. On the off chance that more than 50 percent of the votes are supportive of the union, the OLRB will grant certification. References Publishing, P. Why are Human Rights Important? Retrieved from http://www.pearsonpublishing.co.uk/education/samples/S_497198.pdf Rights Commission, O. H. (2016). Employment. Retrieved from http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/social_areas/employment Suffield, L., Gannon, G. L. (n.d.). Labour relations

Industrial Revolution Essay -- History, England, Materialism

During the industrial revolution of England, by engaging in monotonous work, humans became disconnected with nature. By the nineteenth century, when William Wordsworth wrote the sonnet The world is too much with us, the process of industrialization had transformed a worker’s life, leaving no time or place to enjoy or take part in nature. In his Petrarchan sonnet, Wordsworth criticizes humans for losing their hearts to materialism and longs for a world where nature is divine. In the first four lines, the poet angrily addresses the theme of the sonnet which is that the modern age has lost its connection to nature and to everything meaningful. The words â€Å"late and soon† (1) are part of a list that continues in the next line with the phrase â€Å"getting and spending† (2). The line break is for the purpose of the structure of the sonnet. Late and soon refer to the fast pace of the industrial age, and they describe how the past and future are included in the poet’s characterization of mankind. â€Å"Too† (1) and â€Å"soon† (1) have a long vowel â€Å"oo† sound since industrialization, and therefore, exploitation of nature, had been occurring for a long time before Wordsworth wrote this sonnet. Wordsworth wanted to express how â€Å"soon† (1) this exploitation would become known to others by placing the sharp consonant â€Å"n† after the long vowel sound. The caesura in line 1 after the word  "us† (1) gives the reader a chance to feel and reflect upon the weight of the world resting on humanity’s shoulders after the poet’s statement that the world is too fragile for humans to handle. Humanity’s â€Å"powers† (2) have gone to â€Å"waste† (2), which in this context means that they have been used inefficiently. However, other connotations for the word â€Å"waste† (2) are things t... ...ch the narrator responds to her death, is connected to nature but dies before she can attain her own distinct consciousness away from nature. Lucy is connected to nature and exists in a state between the spiritual and human. However, she represents a state of consciousness and exists within the poem as part of the narrator's consciousness. Nature is being portrayed as something almost devine, just as the mythical Greek gods from The world is too much with us were Wordsworth’s favorable alternative to human exploitation of nature. Nevertheless, there is a difference between one being too connected to nature, as Lucy was, and one being nearly disconnected from nature, as humanity was portrayed in The world is too much with us. The only way to be in harmony with nature is to accept nature for what it is – to not to be overly connected with it, but not to exploit it. Industrial Revolution Essay -- History, England, Materialism During the industrial revolution of England, by engaging in monotonous work, humans became disconnected with nature. By the nineteenth century, when William Wordsworth wrote the sonnet The world is too much with us, the process of industrialization had transformed a worker’s life, leaving no time or place to enjoy or take part in nature. In his Petrarchan sonnet, Wordsworth criticizes humans for losing their hearts to materialism and longs for a world where nature is divine. In the first four lines, the poet angrily addresses the theme of the sonnet which is that the modern age has lost its connection to nature and to everything meaningful. The words â€Å"late and soon† (1) are part of a list that continues in the next line with the phrase â€Å"getting and spending† (2). The line break is for the purpose of the structure of the sonnet. Late and soon refer to the fast pace of the industrial age, and they describe how the past and future are included in the poet’s characterization of mankind. â€Å"Too† (1) and â€Å"soon† (1) have a long vowel â€Å"oo† sound since industrialization, and therefore, exploitation of nature, had been occurring for a long time before Wordsworth wrote this sonnet. Wordsworth wanted to express how â€Å"soon† (1) this exploitation would become known to others by placing the sharp consonant â€Å"n† after the long vowel sound. The caesura in line 1 after the word  "us† (1) gives the reader a chance to feel and reflect upon the weight of the world resting on humanity’s shoulders after the poet’s statement that the world is too fragile for humans to handle. Humanity’s â€Å"powers† (2) have gone to â€Å"waste† (2), which in this context means that they have been used inefficiently. However, other connotations for the word â€Å"waste† (2) are things t... ...ch the narrator responds to her death, is connected to nature but dies before she can attain her own distinct consciousness away from nature. Lucy is connected to nature and exists in a state between the spiritual and human. However, she represents a state of consciousness and exists within the poem as part of the narrator's consciousness. Nature is being portrayed as something almost devine, just as the mythical Greek gods from The world is too much with us were Wordsworth’s favorable alternative to human exploitation of nature. Nevertheless, there is a difference between one being too connected to nature, as Lucy was, and one being nearly disconnected from nature, as humanity was portrayed in The world is too much with us. The only way to be in harmony with nature is to accept nature for what it is – to not to be overly connected with it, but not to exploit it.

The Day That Changed My Life Forever :: Personal Narrative Essays

Throughout life we come across many people, some who influence us in negative ways, and those who influence in good ways, often changing our complete outlook on life. For me, it took the struggle of one of my best friends to open my eyes. I only wish it wasn't too late to thank her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I grew up having more than the average kid. My parents bought me nice clothes, stereos, Nintendo games, mostly everything I needed and wanted. They supported me in everything I did. At that point in my life I was very involved with figure skating. I never cared how much of our money it took, or how much of my parents' time it occupied, all I thought about was the shiny new ice skates and frilly outfits I wanted. Along with my involvement in soccer, the two sports took most of my parents' time, and a good portion of their money. Growing up with such luxuries I began to take things for granted. I expected things, rather than being thankful for what I had and disregarded my parent's wishes, thinking only of myself. Apparently my parents recognized my behavior and began limiting my privileges. When I didn't get what I wanted I got upset and mad at my parents somehow blaming them for all my problems. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't a bad kid, I just didn't know how el se to act. I had never been exposed to anything less than what I had and didn't realize how good I had it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Regina Maywack lived just down the road from me. Before 5th grade I never knew who she was. As the year progressed we got closer and closer. Regina was extremely talented. She was, in my mind, a genius; she loved school and always did well. She was also blessed with athletic ability. Something I respected since most other kids we knew weren't involved in sports. No matter what day it was I always went to school knowing that Regina would be there with a smile on her face. It seemed as though she didn't have a care in the world. There were days I would show up mad at something my parents had done, or at something that hadn't gone my way, and she would just look at me with those honest eyes and tell me to be thankful for the good things.

Analysis of Stories of Ghost Sightings :: Urban Legends Ghost Story

Ghost Stories The storyteller is 19 years old and attends Chesapeake College, and is transferring this fall to Salisbury University to become a nurse. Her mother works at a local Baptist church as a secretary/receptionist and her father is a mechanic, but will soon be retired. [The storyteller claims to have seen] these ghosts, and the story she told is about what they look like, their actions, their backgrounds, and how it has affected her. She told me four mini-stories: one about a young girl, one about a young boy, one about a middle-aged man, and one about an elderly man. The first ghost [story is] about was a little girl that always appeared on her way home at night: Ok, well there is this little girl that stands in the middle of the road usually near those two farm houses on the way to my house. She is a black girl, probably like 7 or so, and she always stands in the road at night. And sometimes if there is a car in front of me, they hit her†¦but I always try to move so I don’t hit her, or I try to move. I know you think I’m making all this up, but I’m not. I wish I was making it up. Anyway, she might be there in the daytime too but I usually only see her, well spirits in general, at night. I’m not sure why she is there, but I think she was hit by a car a long time ago and just can’t leave. She was walking along the road and got hit and now she can’t leave the road. I see her every time it’s dark and I’m driving home. Sometimes she is standing in the middle of the road and sometimes I see her walking out into the middle of it. I’ve never hit her though, I try to swerve out of th e way ‘cause she freaks me out†¦or I tell her to get out of the way and she will walk across. Or disappear. Yeah, she’s probably second on the list of freak-me-out ghosts. As [the storyteller] was telling this story, her voice was a little shaky, and she was talking somewhat fast, as if she didn’t like talking about it or it scared her. She used her hands a lot, either to help describe her story better or because she was simply nervous or scared. After asking her which ghost she finds scariest or creepiest, [the storyteller told] me this next story about a frightening little boy, whom she has only seen one time:

I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group Essay

Through work to bring materials from women’s studies into the rest of the curriculum, I have often noticed men’s unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged. They may say they will work to women’s statues, in the society, the university, or the curriculum, but they can’t or won’t support the idea of lessening men’s. Denials that amount to taboos surround the subject of advantages that men gain from women’s disadvantages. These denials protect male privilege from being fully acknowledged, lessened, or ended. Thinking through unacknowledged male privilege as a phenomenon, I realized that, since hierarchies in our society are interlocking, there was most likely a phenomenon of while privilege that was similarly denied and protected. As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage. I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege. So I have begun in an untutored way to ask what it is like to have white privilege. I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was â€Å"meant† to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools , and blank checks. Describing white privilege makes one newly accountable. As we in women’s studies work to reveal male privilege and ask men to give up some of their power, so one who writes about having white privilege must ask, â€Å"having described it, what will I do to lessen or end it?† After I realized the extent to which men work from a base of unacknowledged privilege, I understood that much of their oppressiveness was unconscious. Then I remembered the frequent charges from women of color that white women whom they encounter are oppressive. I began to understand why we are just seen as oppressive, even when we don’t see ourselves that way. I began to count the ways in which I enjoy unearned skin privilege and have been conditioned into oblivion about its existence. My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture. I was taught to see myself as an individual whose moral state depended on her individual moral will. My schooling followed the pattern my colleague Elizabeth Minnich has pointed out: whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow â€Å"them† to be more like â€Å"us.†

Elderly Abuse Essay

Lifespan stage and counseling-related problems. As part of being a human being, we are born and we grow old as time passes and then we die as life comes to an end. Part of human development is the stage of late adulthood. From the book â€Å"Human Behavior in the Social Environment,† by Jose B. Ashford and Craig Winston LeCroy, the years from age sixty until death are considered late adulthood. At this stage of life, there are many challenges that the elderly people face. Aging comes with the loss of being independent, age discrimination and diminished physical ability. During the aging process, there are also biological, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual changes. Beside two other big challenges such as poverty and ageism, one of the biggest problems that elderly people face is elderly abuse when they are at the point in their lives where they are dependent of someone to provide supports for them. According to the American Psychological Association, an estimated 4 million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological or other forms of abuse and neglect. Many people who hear â€Å"elder abuse and neglect† think about older people who live in nursing homes or older relatives who live all alone and don’t have visitors. Being part of the counseling program, it is important for counselors to know that majority of incidents of elder abuse do not happen in nursing homes or other residential settings, but rather takes place at their own home with their own spouses, children, siblings or relatives. Forms of elderly abuse to be aware of are physical abuse, verbal/psychological/emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation and neglect. Elder abuse is often a very complex problem that is caused by many reasons such as cultural issues, stress, society and other factors. Elder abuse affects both older men and women from all socioeconomic groups, cultures, race s and ethnicities. Bio-psycho-social developmental themes Bio-psycho-social developmental themes affecting late adulthood is crucial in  understanding elderly abuse. During this developmental stage, there are lots of changes in the biological systems among this age group. Problems related to elderly physical health include gradual loss of bone mass, joints are more restricted, variety of foot problems, and arthritis which is known to affect many elderly people. Power and speed of muscle decrease as well as strength and endurance. There is a decline in hearing and vision impairment. Skin gets thin and dryer which make the skin more easily bruised and injured. Maintaining independence and health is very important in the success of someone who is in this stage of development. With the biology of aging, the elderly become physically frail which cause others to care for them sometimes resulting in mistreatment and abuse. Forms of elderly abuse that affect the individuals biologically are physical abuse and sexual abuse. Physical abuse ranges from getting slapped, shoved, beatings, kicking, pinching, burning, and getting restrained with ropes or chains. Giving inappropriate medications is also part of physical abuse. Sexual abuse among this age group ranges from inappropriate touching, forcing sexual contact, rape, sodomy and coerced nudity. It is the least reported type of elderly abuse. Sexual abuse also includes taking pictures and forcing an individual to look at pornography. These two forms of elder abuse usually cause physical problems such as signs of body bruises, bruises around genital areas, unexplained sexually transmitted diseases, untreated wounds, sprains, broken glasses and bloody underclothing. There are changes in the psychological system of this developmental stage that contributed to elderly abuse and mistreatment. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia for aging individuals. Alzheimer is literally having memory loss which is common among individuals that are in their sixty and above. Cognitive impairment increases with age and dementia is usually one of the biggest problems that often refer to irreversible cognitive impairment that affects an individual’s memory, personality, and functioning. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, cognitive impairment can sometimes be discovered early in individuals. When individuals are not able to recall names, forgetting words, misplacing things, having memory loss, getting lost in own street or neighbor, not knowing or forgetting chore needs to be done, they may possibly be showing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Behavioral and emotional changes occur in people with Alzheimer’s disease. As the disease gets worsen, those with the disease will experience symptoms that include delusions, agitation, aggression and uncooperative with care. Alzheimer is a commonly known dementia disease in which there is no cure and it gets worse as it progresses. The risk of abuse increases in people with health issues such as dementia (Kohn and Verkoek-Oftedahl 2011). Verbal, emotional and psychological abuses are the common abuses that elderly individuals suffered from. Signs of emotional and psychological abuse are being upset, withdrawn, and unusual dementia-like behavior such as rocking and sucking. Name calling, intimidation, threatening, isolating the individual from families and friends are forms of verbal, emotional and psychological abuse. In late adulthood, the social dimension or support system becomes smaller. Majority of older adults have some family, while others do not. Family is the first line of support for older adults when they need care and assistance. Some older adults or elderly individuals often live with their children including grandchildren, while others live with their spouses. It is important to know that elderly abuse is often caused by family members and the least likely to be reported. For those that do not have family and are dependent for care, they are often live in adult residential homes or care facilities where they only people they interact with are the staffs within those settings. Elderly abuse is sometimes caused by individuals working at the care homes. Some individuals of this population experience loneliness and isolation. When an individual is isolated for no apparent reason, it is sometimes can be part of elderly abuse. Counseling Practice: Assess and Strategy Elderly abuse is often the result of certain societal attitudes that contribute to the violence and discrimination against older people. From the American Psychological Association, such factors that contribute to elderly abuse include the devaluation of and lack of respect for older adults and the society’s belief that what goes on in the home is a private â€Å"family matter.† When societal views regarding older people as insignificant, it results in failure to recognize the importance of assuring support, dignity and nonabusive life circumstances for every older individual. When people outside of the family observe or suspect abuse, they may fail to intervene because they believe that it is a family problem and is none of their  problems or they might be afraid that they are dealing with a private matter. Also, the feeling of shame and embarrassment might often make it difficult for older persons or even family members to report and reveal the abuse because they do n’t want others to know that such events are occurring in their families. Counselors need to take into consideration of certain cultural values, beliefs and traditions that influence the family dynamics and intergenerational relationships. These differences can make the situations difficult to distinguish from abuse or neglect. One big problem is older individuals from ethnic minorities or immigrants that do not speak English and have language barriers, financial or emotional dependence that prevent them from seeking or willingness to report abuse. It is important that anyone who works with older people in potentially abusive situations need to be sensitive to cultural differences and intervene accordingly as well as not to ignore signs of abuse. To prevent elderly abuse, counseling for behavioral or personal problems in the family can be helpful. Treating family members with substance abuse can prevent violence against aging adults in the households. In some cases, it may be a best interest to have the older individuals move to a different safer setting or having the older individuals live in nursing home if adult children are not equipped emotionally and physically to support and handle the responsibility of caring for an elderly person. When suspected of elderly abuse, counselors or any other related mental health professionals are mandated to report elderly abuse to adult protective services as required by laws. It is also important not let fear prevent you from reporting any suspicions of abuse taking place. It is important to know that someone’s life can be saved from further harms including death. People in their late adulthood deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. They are our parents, grandparents and love ones who deserve good care and love as they have reached the full stage of their lives. Cited Page Ashford, J. B., LeCroy, C. W., & Lortie, K. L. (2010). Human behavior in the social environment: a multidimensional perspective (4th ed.). Australia: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. Elder Abuse and Neglect: In Search of Solutions. (n.d.). http://www.apa.org. Retrieved November 16, 2013, from http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/elder-abuse.aspx Kohn, R., & Verhoek-Oftedahl, W. (2011). Caregiving and Elder Abuse. Medicine & Health Rhode Island, 94(2), 47–49. OpenStax College. (2013, July 29). Challenges Facing the Elderly. Retrieved from the Connexions Web site: http://cnx.org/content/m42880/1.4/ Resources Two Current Book References Glicken, M. D. (2009). Evidence-based counseling and psychotherapy for an aging population. Amsterdam: Academic. This book is a practical guide for advanced students, social workers, clinicians or anyone in the mental field that work with elderly clients. It covers the most effective evidence-based practices for assessment and treatment of elderly clients. Each chapter of the book directly addresses different range of conditions and disorders that are the most common for the elderly population such as social isolation, elder abuse and neglect, depression, anxiety disorders, terminal illnesses, dementias and so forth. It also prepares readers for conditions that they will encounter in the real world even working with or interacting with the elderly population. Wilson, G. (2000). Understanding old age critical and global perspectives. London: Sage. This book is about understanding old age or the elderly population. It gives readers a wide range of issues and policies on ageing. It provides many theoretical perspectives on ageing in different societies, the trends involving aging adults and what roles should be taken by older people including those who interact with this population. The book explores migration, different health issues, pensions, the structure of family and institutional care as well as it also touches based on elderly abuse. This book is essential for students, nurses, social work, counselors and those who want further understanding of the older population in our society. Journal Article Thompson, H., & Priest, R. (2005). Elder Abuse and Neglect: Considerations  for Mental Health Practitioners. Adultspan Journal, 4(2), 116-128. According to the authors, elder abused is largely an unrecognized problem in the United States and is often untreated. Elder abuse and neglect is so prevalence, that not all incidents are reported. By 2030, the elderly population of late adulthood will double and it is important for mental health practitioners to be aware of intervention, different strategies, consequences, laws and the risk factors that contributed to elder abuse when working with clients. The article addresses the different types of elderly abuse and states real life problems that mental health practitioners including counselors will encounter when working with the population. Educational Internet Website National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) www.ncea.aoa.gov The National Center on Elder Abuse or NCEA is directed by the U.S. Administration on Aging. According to the mission of The National Center on Elder Abuse, it is a resource for policy makers, social service and health care practitioners, the justice system, researchers, advocates, and families. The site has prevention strategies and different intervention partners that are good for different work fields such as for those working with older people in the social services, APS, Ombudsman and etc†¦ It provides many different practices that are utilized in different states throughout the United States. Local Referral Source Department of Health and Human Services, Ombudsman Program 7001 A East Parkway Sacramento, CA 95823 Telephone: (916) 875-2000 The Office of Ombudsman provide information, answer questions and resources to address issues. The Office of Ombudsman protects and defends a citizen’s rights.