Perception and Experience of Abuse among Older Adults in a Rural Community in Nigeria

Psychoactive drug abuse in older adults

Interface of Law and Psychiatric Problems in the Elderly.

ImportanceIntimate partner violence (IPV) affects millions of US residents across the lifespan and is often unrecognized. Abuse of older or vulnerable adults by a caregiver or someone else they may trust is common and can result in significant injury, death, and long-term adverse health consequences.ObjectiveThe US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a systematic review to evaluate the benefits and harms of screening for IPV, abuse of older adults, and abuse of vulnerable adults.PopulationThe recommendation on screening for IPV applies to adolescents and adults who are pregnant or postpartum, and women of reproductive age. The recommendation on screening in older and vulnerable adults applies to persons without recognized signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect.Evidence AssessmentThe USPSTF concludes that screening for IPV in women of reproductive age, including those who are pregnant and postpartum, and providing or referring those who screen positive to multicomponent interventions has a moderate net benefit. The USPSTF concludes that the benefits and harms of screening for caregiver abuse and neglect in older or vulnerable adults are uncertain and that the balance of benefits and harms cannot be determined.RecommendationThe USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen for IPV in women of reproductive age, including those who are pregnant and postpartum. (B recommendation) The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for caregiver abuse and neglect in older or vulnerable adults. (I statement)

This tri-provincial mixed methods study explores the reasons for under reporting abuse of older adults in the Prairie Provinces of Canada. Abuse of community-residing older adults, and specifically the reasons for not reporting such abuse, is poorly understood. This paper discusses the findings of the qualitative arm of the study that collected data through interviews with older adults having histories of abuse, their family members and service providers from related sectors. Content analysis was employed to identify three key themes: (1) recognizing and naming abuse; (2) barriers to disclosure; and (3) facilitators of reporting. Recommendations are made to improve awareness, education, and service provision in prevention and treatment of the abuse of community-residing older adults.

Chapter 6 - Abuse of older adults: An Ontario criminal justice perspective

Elder abuse is a public health issue associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its impact on victims' health at the cellular level, however, remains unknown. This study assessed the association between abuse exposure and shortening of telomere length (TL), a promising molecular marker for biological aging, in older victims. The geriatric departments of three Grade-A hospitals in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Six hundred Chinese older adults, including 300 abused victims and 300 non-abused controls were randomly drawn respectively from a larger sample of 467 abused and 518 non-abused older adults recruited at baseline. Participants were assessed for physical and psychological abuse exposure at baseline between September 2015 and February 2016 and assessed for TL 2 years after the abuse assessment. TL was quantified using a quantitative PCR method and expressed as T/S ratio (the ratio of telomere repeat copy numbers to single-copy gene numbers). Physical and psychological abuse was measured using the Revised Conflicts Tactics Scale. Adjusting for demographic, medical, and behavioral confounders, physical and psychological abuse exposure at baseline were independently associated with shorter TL at follow-up. The association was the most significant between multiple forms of abuse (physical and psychological) exposure and shorter TL. This study provides the first evidence on the relationship between abuse and shortened TL in older victims, implying the potential effect of elder abuse on accelerated cellular aging. The findings suggest the importance of routinely assessing and intervening abuse in older adults by healthcare professionals, to promote and maintain physical health in older adults.

Helping Older Adults With the Ageless Challenge of Substance Abuse

Neglect and abuse of older adults are still prevalent in communities of developing countries, a situation that could discourage active and healthy behaviors in community-dwelling older adults. This study used the cross-sectional and correlational approaches to construct a scale measuring neglect and abuse in older adults living in the community. The study population was all (3,211) older adults who were resident in Accra and were part of the database of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust. Participants were 515 individuals who met some inclusion criteria. Three steps were followed to determine an initial set of 11 items, and principal component analysis with varimax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis were used to select relevant items and assess the psychometric properties of the final scale. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation yielded a two-factor solution on all 11 items. The first factor extracted was "discrimination and exploitation," which accounted for a variance of 53.9% out of total variance of 70.8%. The scale had a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .90, factor loading ≥0.50). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor solution and produced satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. It is concluded that 11 items that make up 2 factors are potential indicators of neglect and abuse of older adults at the community level. Finally, neglect and abuse of older people in the community can contribute to an increase or decrease in social activity.

Diagnosis and assessment of substance abuse in older adults: Current strategies and issues

Handbook of Counseling and Psychotherapy With Older Adults

Purpose This study aims to examine primary care physicians who are in a tenable position to identify signs of abuse in older adults as well as provide an opportunity to safeguard them from abuse. Yet little is known about their clinical decision-making process during a clinic visit to detect abuse of older adults and provide adequate support in the Caribbean. Design/methodology/approach Fourteen primary care physicians working in a government operated free clinic were interviewed about their clinical decision-making process, in a narrative analysis format on the small island state of Trinidad and Tobago. Findings Primary care physicians expressed lack of knowledge about the primary health-care clinics’ protocols and procedures regarding abuse of older adults. Lack of attendance to educational in-service programs on recognizing and reporting abuse of older adults. A hands-off approach with non-medical abuse issues. Last there is no uniform assessments among the different types of physicians. Practical implications Although these findings are among primary care physicians located in Trinidad and Tobago, the context may be applied to primary care settings in other Caribbean islands. Major focus should be geared towards increasing awareness among the public and health-care professionals. Originality/value Sparse research on small island states regarding safeguarding policies for older adults who experience abuse.

EASY MONEY: FINANCIAL SCAMS AND OLDER ADULTS

ObjectivesViolence against older adults is a prevalent global harm, and there is evidence that perceptions of violence toward older adults may affect reporting and intervention. The present study examines the perception of violence against older adults in contrast to violence against other age groups and investigates the role of ageism in those perceptions.MethodsA total of 290 participants were surveyed and asked to indicate whether they perceived 15 abusive behaviors reflecting physical, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse and neglect to be abuse toward either an older adult (age 60+), adult, or child. Ageism was measured using the Ambivalent Ageism scale.ResultsOn average, 25% of participants did not consider the abusive behaviors to be abuse. Perceptions of abuse were relatively stable across the 5 types of abuse examined (range: 25%–27%). Perceptions of the 15 abusive behaviors only varied due to older age in 3 instances, differences were sometimes between older adults and adults and sometimes children. Regression analyses showed increased ageism to be predictive of disagreement that behaviors were abusive in the older age group, explaining 8%–14% of the variance in perception. Regression models were not significant in the adult or child groups.DiscussionResults raise serious concern about the perception of abuse toward older adults. Future studies should investigate the reasons for such perceptions and other contributing factors in order to identify effective mechanisms for change.

Facing the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 Winter: Ethical Lessons for Treating Older Adults

Elder abuse is a global public health problem with severe social costs. Research on elder abuse has gradually increased; however, less attention has been paid to older adults’ perceptions and experiences of abuse. This review aimed to integrate older adults’ perceptions and experiences of abuse to provide a theoretical basis for developing interventions that meet their authentic needs. Six electronic databases were searched to include qualitative studies examining perceptions and experiences of abuse among adults aged 60 years or older, and 22 studies were included. This study used the Joanna Briggs Institute meta-aggregation approach to integrate the qualitative findings, which identified four themes: (a) changes resulting from elder abuse, (b) causes of abuse, (c) barrier factors and facilitating factors to the disclosure of abusive behavior, and (d) adopting different response strategies. The findings revealed that older adults experience persistent physical and psychological burdens and financial stress following abuse. Multiple factors influence the emergence of abuse and older adults search for help from the outside world, especially social support and perceptions of abuse. Older adults can deal with abuse by accepting the status quo or taking steps to change it. These findings have important implications for helping older adults prevent and cope with abuse experiences.