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Drawing on data from a case-control study of physical abuse of the elderly, this paper examines conflicting hypotheses (1) that the increased dependency of an older person causes stress for relatives, who then respond with physical violence versus (2) that the increased dependency of the abusive relative leads to maltreatment The results of quantitative and qualitative analyses are consistent: the elderly victims were not likely to be more dependent, but were instead more likely to be supporting the dependent abuser. These findings have important implications for social exchange theory and for policy towards the aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abuse of older people is a serious issue and is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, and professionals will encounter elderly victims of abuse in all areas of the health care system. An important health determinant is behavioral factors, including coping style, which will impact on how older people manage stress and maintain control in their lives, and thereby protect themselves from abuse. The aim of this study was to explore the coping strategies elderly people abused by their offspring used to manage everyday life. Methods: A qualitative approach was used and 14 elderly victims of abuse were interviewed. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results: Five main coping strategies were identified. The main strategy was linked to the role of parent. Another prominent strategy was attitude towards being victimized. Further strategies were associated with hope for a better relationship with offspring in the future, while others felt that they had done the best they could, or that their offspring were no longer their responsibility. The results are discussed in light of theoretical perspectives related to coping and resilience. Conclusion: Abuse of older people by their offspring imposes severe stress on victims and challenges the values and beliefs about the caring nature of families. The findings of this study indicate that victims of abuse use a wide range of coping techniques to manage everyday life, and that some strategies help them to maintain their self-respect in their role as parents and find some sort of resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to perform a systematic review of studies measuring the prevalence of elder abuse or neglect, either reported by older people themselves, or family and professional caregivers or investigated using objective measures. Methods: we conducted a comprehensive literature search of multiple databases up to October 2006, supplemented by a search of the references of all relevant articles. Validity of studies was graded by two authors independently using a standardised checklist. Results: forty-nine studies met our inclusion criteria, of which only seven used measures for which reliability and validity had been assessed. In the general population studies, 6% of older people reported significant abuse in the last month and 5.6% of couples reported physical violence in their relationship in the last year. In studies using valid instruments involving vulnerable elders, nearly a quarter reported significant levels of psychological abuse. Five per cent of family caregivers reported physical abuse towards care recipients with dementia in a year, and a third reported any significant abuse. Sixteen per cent of care home staff admitted significant psychological abuse. Rates of abuse recorded using objective measures (5%) or reported to home management or adult protective services (APS) (1-2%) were low. Conclusion: one in four vulnerable elders are at risk of abuse and only a small proportion of this is currently detected. Elders and family and professional caregivers are willing to report abuse and should be asked about it routinely. Valid, reliable measures and consensus on what constitutes an adequate standard for validity of abuse measures are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the issues regarding elder mistreatment. Definitions and classifications of elder mistreatment; Risk factors and prevention; Legal issues on elder mistreatment.

Abstract: Professionals and practitioners (N = 228) involved in providing services to the elderly were interviewed regarding their experiences with the mistreatment of older people by their families. Semi-structured questions dealt with case identification and follow-up procedures perceptions of etiological factors and descriptive typologies from illustrative case histories. Findings indicated that domestic mistreatment of the elderly was familiar to most professionals interviewed, to the extent that 60 per ¢ of the respondents dealt with such cases on a weekly basis. Among the 10 professional groups interviewed, there was little variation in their experiences with neglect police officers, lawyers, community menial health and aging services workers had greater exposure to cases of physical abuse. Intentional mistreatment was typically viewed as a consequence of inadequacies in the caretaker, while unintentional cases were related to the victims isolation. Most respondents indicated that there were no established procedures for dealing with, or following-up mistreatment cases, and over one-half reported that nothing was done. Differences in perception of the etiology of domestic mistreatment of the elderly were closely related to the occupational perspectives of the various respondent groups. Although incidence rates could not be established, 89 illustrative cases of domestic mistreatment of the elderly were indicative of the severity of the occurrences and the absence of appropriate interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]