Elder Mistreatment

Abstract

SUMMARY New information on elder mistreatment and conflict management among certain ethnic groups has necessitated changes in the practice arena. Clinical approaches depend on the victims' ability to identify themselves as victims, their degree of collective self, preferred conflict management techniques, and ability to identify their own power resources. Practice considerations and modifications include looking for subtle behaviors indicative of psychological abuse and neglect, using words that are culturally familiar and acceptable, and educating elders and their families about how other families relate and solve problems. Other interventions involve the use of the third party for cathartic displacement, and based on a temporal model of the exchange process, creating a power balance by maximizing the victims' potential power while minimizing the perpetrators' potential power.