Prevention of elder abuse: Betty Neuman health care systems approach

It is estimated that as many as 2.5 million elderly persons in the United States every year are victims of abuse, neglected, battered, or otherwise deprived of their rights, usually by those on whom they are most dependent for care. Although there is no clear consensus on what constitutes or causes abuse, it is widely accepted that this national tragedy has growing implications for the future. Presented here are definitions of abuse, trends that have impact on the incidence of elder abuse, trends that have impact on the incidence of elder abuse and also theories of causation. In addition the Betty Neuman health care systems model is presented as a framework for the clinical nurse specialist to utilize in developing a plan of care aimed at preventing abuse while maintaining the integrity of the family. This framework and accompanying generalized plan of care could easily be adapted to other types of intrafamily violence.