Self-Neglect in Older Populations: A Description and Analysis of Current Approaches

Self-neglect in old age has severe effects on a person's health and quality of life and poses diverse challenges for primary caregivers and the community. The authors provide a narrative overview of the literature on self-neglect and summarize what is known to date about the main approaches for describing self-neglect, the factors that contribute to self-neglect, and the interventions that have been attempted. We found that answering the question about what factors led people into a state of self-neglect was extremely complex since many studies described a variety of interlinked factors, some of which are sociocultural and others medical. Our analysis suggested a need for a consolidated approach that focuses instead on the vulnerabilities affecting an older person and the factors that can improve resilience to adversity. Tackling vulnerability and resilience may hold the keys to successful multidisciplinary and person-centered management of self-neglect in older age.