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Abuse and maltreatment in the elderly.
Rosa Martins1, Maria João Neto2, Ana Andrade1
1Escola Superior de Saúde de Viseu, CI&DETS, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Viseu, Portugal.
Atencion Primaria
|December 6, 2014
Summary
Elder abuse, particularly emotional abuse and neglect, affects 23.5% of seniors. Unmarried, less educated, lonely, and unhealthy elderly individuals, especially those in dysfunctional families, are most vulnerable to mistreatment.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Social Sciences
Background:
- Global aging population presents challenges, including rising rates of elder abuse and mistreatment.
- These issues significantly impact the quality of life for older adults.
- Elder abuse often manifests in silenced or overlooked forms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify prevalent forms of abuse and ill-treatment experienced by the elderly.
- To determine the key factors and determinants associated with elder abuse.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional study.
- Involved 135 elderly participants in central Portugal.
- Utilized the Family APGAR Scale and the Question to Elicit Elder Abuse (QEEA) tool.
Main Results:
- 23.5% of elderly participants reported experiencing some form of abuse.
- Emotional abuse and neglect were the most common types identified.
- Risk factors included being unmarried/widowed, lower academic qualifications, feelings of loneliness, poorer health, and perceived family dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Elder abuse and mistreatment are persistent issues in the daily lives of many seniors.
- Addressing emotional abuse, neglect, and promoting health and family functioning are crucial.
- Developing targeted intervention strategies is necessary to reduce or eliminate elder abuse.