As You Age, Reduce Your Risk of Abandonment

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Elderly abandonment generally refers to a situation where a spouse or children desert an elderly person who is unable to care for themselves. In a legal context, this is considered elder abuse.

When children or partners leave an elderly person because of their toxicity, however, that situation is more complex and doesn’t always fit the legal or ethical definition of elder abandonment.

Family members may leave an elderly person who is cruel or emotionally abusive. In those cases, it may feel like abandonment to the person in need. But instead, it’s more accurately called:

• Self-preservation

• Setting boundaries

• An act of self-care

• Estrangement

• Caregiver burnout

• Compassion fatigue

Legally, abandonment is leaving an elderly person in a hospital, public place, or institution without arranging for their care. Ethically, however, it’s more of a gray area when someone steps away due to emotional mistreatment rather than neglecting a dependent elder.

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