Responding to Older Adult Maltreatment: Interdisciplinary Geriatric Care Provider Experiences and Training Needs

In the current mixed methods study, 37 interdisciplinary geriatric care providers in Ontario, Canada, completed a qualitative interview and a series of quantitative questionnaires. The qualitative interview explored their experiences observing, identifying and reporting older adult maltreatment in their work settings, along with their training background and recommendations for professional development. The quantitative measures assessed their abilities to identify risk factors for older adult maltreatment, and their attitudes and willingness to assess for potential indicators of maltreatment. Inductive thematic coding of the qualitative interviews revealed that these providers frequently observe older adult maltreatment in their workplaces, which is most often perpetrated by family members and geriatric care providers. Several barriers to reporting older adult maltreatment were identified, including fear of consequences, older adult apprehension, insufficient reporting knowledge, training and preparedness, and professional and institutional barriers. Although most providers accurately identified the common risk factors for older adult maltreatment on the quantitative measures, they nevertheless expressed clear individual, institutional and professional barriers to maltreatment reporting during the qualitative interviews. These findings underscore the essential need for a culture change in reporting processes, professional and institutional support, training and psychological safety to ensure that all interdisciplinary geriatric care providers have the confidence and preparation to effectively assist older adults who are at-risk for abuse and neglect.