Elder abuse in the context of dementia: Development of film resources

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundPeople with dementia are uniquely vulnerable to elder abuse, including from their family members and carers. However, when confronted with instances of elder abuse, service providers often struggle to balance the carer’s needs and the older person’s rights. Without clear and consistent messaging and training, significant discrepancies can arise in provider’s responses to elder abuse in the context of dementia. Addressing this gap, this project aimed to co‐produce with providers and the community, three short films exemplifying best‐practice responses to cases of elder abuse in the context of dementia. This paper describes the development of the elder abuse films. Using co‐production methods, two workshops were conducted with Service Providers (n = 13) and community members (n = 8) respectively. In the facilitated workshops, participants were provided with draft scripts based on real‐life scenarios covering neglect, financial and physical abuse. Following the workshops, scripts were refined and circulated to participants for further feedback. Once refined, films were developed by professional film maker (WHY Documentaries (Wollongong, NSW)), and films were circulated to Service Providers for final feedback. The final three films were launched in March, 2020 and data analytics are currently being collected. This project highlights how the use of film and media can effectively be used in educating front line providers about sensitive topics such as elder abuse in the context of dementia to improve the detection, but also the responses to abuse in community settings.