What Do We Know about an Invisible Issue? Results of a Scoping Review of Elder Abuse and Gender and Sexual Minorities

Abstract

Elder abuse occurs to older adults who are members of gender and sexual minorities (GSM). Whilst most of that abuse is similar to that experienced by their heterosexual and cisgender peers GSM older adults face particular vulnerabilities due to their life experiences and changes. In this article we report on our findings from a literature search and knowledge synthesis, conducted as part of a larger project to inform Canadian policy makers working to eliminate gender and sexuality-based inequalities. The review included literature on GSM and the experience of elder abuse produced in the previous decade (2013-23). A six-month scoping review was conducted via a staged approach including discovery layer searches; database specific searches; Google scholar and citation examination searches; and general Google searches.