A few weeks ago, the media reported that more than 300,000 elderly people suffered abuse in Spain. Of these, half were cared for by their families, confirming that abuse also takes place in the home. Although it may be hard to believe, or invisible to our eyes, some of our elders are mistreated. A status especially serious in the case of dependent people due to their helplessness.

An expert at topic, Alejandro Morlán, member of the Spanish Confederation of Organizations for the Elderly (CEOMA), stated at the time that in three years this figure had increased by 83.30%. An alarming percentage which, according to him, could be even higher, since other experts defended the existence of an iceberg effect whereby only one in six cases is detected.

In Spain, it is estimated that the percentage of elderly people over 65 years of age with severe dependency is between 10 and 15%. In Navarre this figure reaches 8,000 people with severe or high dependency, which represents slightly more than the total number of people suffering from some kind of disability subject . Moreover, in these complex situations, 83% of the financial aid provided is exercised by the family. More specifically, by women. Thus, if it were not for the caregivers, who dedicate a large part of their daily lives to caring for family members -a average of 70 hours a week- the majority of dependent elderly people would not survive. It is clear, therefore, that the family plays a socioeconomic role core topic in the environment.

However, we cannot ignore the fact that in some cases this attendance is not guaranteed and can even lead to mistreatment, due in part to the stress and burden of caring for the dependent person. In this context, nursing professionals should make us position that status affects all family members, who see their lives altered in many ways, and even causes conflicts within the family. That is why we consider its members as "hidden patients", who need to be assessed and cared for by health professionals to overcome the impact of a status dependency within the family.

On the other hand, the resources available to help families are scarce and insufficient. If they exist, they are not distributed or applied with the intensity they should be. In this sense, the approval of the Dependency Law would have meant a qualitative and quantitative leap in a social services system with important limitations. However, economic problems have not allowed for the adequate development of the rule.

However, the idea that dependent persons are best cared for within the family will only be maintained if society is capable of generating quality services, with staff trained to support and complement care within the family.

The training of these experts will also benefit households, where they will promote cooperation, mutual support and coordination, with the goal to face together the different situations that will occur in this family life cycle modified by the presence of a dependent member.

In conclusion, health professionals, specifically nursing professionals, can act as mediators to guide the family, guide them in making decisions related to the care of the dependent person and thus avoid, in many cases, situations of mistreatment or lack of quality in the patient's attendance .