2. What is elder abuse?
an all-inclusive term representing all types of
mistreatment or abusive behavior toward
older adults (Wolf, 2000, p.7)
further defined as acts of commission
(intentional behavior) and omission (failure to
act)
self-neglect is the most common form of elder
abuse and the most difficult to detect and
treat (Levine, 2003 and Reynolds Welfel et al., 2000)
3. Types of Abuse
Physical
Psychological
Sexual
Material
Violation of Rights
Medical
Abandonment
Neglect
Self-neglect
4. Forms of Abuse
Physical - hitting, pushing, slapping, punching,
restraining, pinching, force-feeding, physical
restraint
Psychological - verbal aggression, intimidation,
threats, humiliation
Sexual - any kind of non-consensual sexual
contact
5. Forms of Abuse (continued)
Material - theft of cash or personal property,
forced contracts, misuse of income or other
financial resources
Violation of Rights - deprivation of any
inalienable right such as voting, assembly,
speech, privacy, personal liberty
Medical - withholding medication or
overmedicating
6. Forms of Abuse (continued)
Abandonment - desertion of an elderly person for
whom one has agreed to care for, “dumping” a
cognitively impaired elder at an emergency
room with no identification
Neglect - failure to provide necessary physical or
mental care of an elderly person
Self-neglect - behavior that threatens one’s own
health or safety
7. Indications of Abuse
Physical - multiple fractures or bruises at various
stages of healing, burns, patterned injuries,
patchy hair loss, frequent visits to ER, delay in
seeking medical treatment for injuries
Psychological - withdrawn behavior, wasting or
failure to thrive, depression
Sexual - genital injury, vaginal or rectal bleeding,
bruises, chipped teeth, sexually transmitted
disease or infestations
8. Indications of Abuse (continued)
Material - unexplained loss of income, assets,
possessions, not eating, missed utility
payments
Violation of Rights - isolation, failure to attend
church services or community events as one
did previously
Medical - no improvement in condition for which
one was prescribed medication, blood tests
indicate greater or lower than expected levels
of medications, sleepiness, groggy
9. Indications of Abuse (continued)
Abandonment - isolation, not seen outside home,
disrepair or unkempt environment, missed
medical or other appointments or
engagements, wandering, being left
somewhere to fend for self
Neglect - uncared for appearance, inappropriate
clothing, failure to thrive, lack of medical or
dental care, isolation
Self-neglect – (similar to neglect)
10. Scope of the Problem
estimates of the occurrence of elder abuse vary
widely— due in part to the variability in the
definitions used to measure and report abuse
“mistreatment of adults, including abuse, neglect,
and exploitation, affects more than 1.8 million
older Americans” (Pavlik, Hyman, Festa, Bitondo, and Dyer,
2001, p. 45)
self-neglect accounts for one-third to one-half of
all abuse cases (Gray-Vickrey, 2000, 2004; Levine, 2003; Paris,
2003)
11. Distribution of Abuse
distribution of abuse according to sex was
reported by Wolf (2000) to be almost equally
divided between males and females
Some studies indicate that females are more
often victims of elder abuse (Bratteli2003, Pavlik et al.,
2001)
Patterns of abuse are similar among African
Americans, Latinos, Caucasians, and Asians
(Cavanaugh & Blanchard- Fields cited in Etaugh & Bridges, 2004)
12. Perpetrators of Abuse
elder abuse can be perpetrated by nearly
anyone including paid or volunteer
caregivers, medical and long-term care
employees, family members, significant
others, and in some cases strangers such as
a person who befriends an elderly person for
the purpose of exploiting them (Reynolds Welfel et
al., 2000)
13. Greatest Risk Factors for Causing
Abuse in North Dakota
being male
under age 60
being related
history of mental
illness
recent decline in
mental health
abusing alcohol
primary caregiver
lives with or has
access to the adult
they abuse
change in family
roles from being
cared for to being
the care provider
prior history of
violence
(Bratteli, 2003)
14. Theories Explaining Elder Abuse
affects of caregiver
stress (situational
model)
dependency of elder
on caregiver
(exchange theory)
mental or emotional
disturbance of
caregiver
(psychopathology)
repeated cycle of
violence (social
learning theory)
power imbalance in
relationships
(feminist theory)
marginalization of
the elderly within
society (political
economic theory)
15. Risk Factors for Being Abuses
Poor health
Inability to perform
activities of daily
living
Cognitive impairment
Living with others
(living alone
increases risk for
financial and self-
abuse)
Social isolation
Depression,
confusion, substance
abuse or
dependence
Mental or physical
impairment (stroke,
incontinence,
Alzheimer’s)
Being female
Over age 85
16. Risk Factors for Perpetrating Abuse
History of family violence
Disruptive behavior on behalf of the care
recipient
Mental illness
Alcohol or drug abuse or dependence
Caregiver dependence
17. Perpetrating Risk Factors (continued)
Stress
Physical or emotional exhaustion
Low social integration and/or unemployment
Lack of community supports
Insufficient income for basic needs
18. Protective Measures
Stay sociable and active
Stay involved with neighbors, friends, church
or community activities
Get regular medical and dental care
Open and post your own mail
Increase social network as you age
Have friends visit you at home
Have a “best friend” with whom you can
confide in
Keep in touch with old friends if you move
19. Protective Measures (continued)
Keep your possession organized
Tell someone you trust where your important
paperwork and bank account information is
kept
Have checks direct deposited into your
account
Use an answering machine to screen phone
calls
Don’t leave cash or valuables visible
Notify the police if you will be away from home
for an extended time period
20. Protective Measures (continued)
Consult with an attorney
Make arrangement for the future such as
power of attorney
Get legal advise before making/signing
agreements regarding your care or
possessions
Be aware of your financial situation
21. Protective Measures (continued)
Know where to ask for help
Find out about community resources before
you need them such as rape and abuse
hotlines, senior centers, and adult protective
services
mental health service centers
crisis centers
private counselors
clergy
local police
22. Detection and Treatment Barriers
detection of elder abuse is difficult because
denial is an integral feature of abuse, victims
may feel too ashamed to disclose
maltreatment or believe they are to blame for
or deserve the abuse
dependence on an abuser can make a victim
reluctant to report for fear of how he/she will
survives without the perpetrators help
23. Detection/Treatment Barriers (continued)
victims may not define their situation as
abuse especially in a dysfunctional family
environment where violence or mistreatment
has been “normalized” (Brown et al., 2004, Levine,
2003)
cognitive, auditory, speech, visual
impairments, isolation or restraint may make
reporting impossible for the victim of elder
abuse
24. Detection/Treatment Barriers (continued)
ageism can negatively affect detection of
elder abuse as it is common to view the
elderly as confused or demented, to trivialize
elders’ complaints, and to adhere to the
perception that elder abuse doesn’t exist
physical injuries may be masked by clothing
or by isolating the victim
25. Detection/Treatment Barriers (continued)
fast paced medical services and heavy
caseloads of social service providers may not
allow time for adequate assessment
basic lack of information of where to turn for
help impedes the intervention and treatment
for both perpetrator and victim of abuse
26. Recommendations
further research using standardized
definitions and subtypes of elder abuse would
provide a better picture of the scope of the
problem
improved reporting guidelines along with
increasing the number of agencies and their
funding is essential.
27. Recommendations (continued)
Greater understanding of the causation of
elder abuse could lead to the development of
effective treatment programs for abusers
defining elder abuse in its own terms rather
that modifying guidelines from child abuse
legislation would improve the understanding
of elder abuse as a phenomenon separate
and unique from child abuse
28. References
Bratteli, M. (2003). Caregiver abuse, neglect and
exploitation: The journey through caregiving. North
Dakota State University.
Brown, K., Streubert, G., & Burgess, A. (2004).
Effectively detect and manage elder abuse. The
Nurse Practitioner, 9 (8), 22-33.
Etaugh, C. & Bridges, J. (2004). The psychology of
women: A lifespan perspective (2nd
Ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Gray-Vickrey, P. (2000). Protecting the older adult:
Learn how to assess the visible and invisible
indicators and what to do if you recognize abuse in
an older patient. Nursing, 30 (7), 34-38.
29. References (continued)
Gray-Vickrey, P. (2004). Combating elder abuse:
Here’s what to look for, what to ask, and how to
respond if you suspect that an older patient is a
victim. Nursing, 34 (10), 47-51.
Kapp, M., (2004). Family caregivers’ legal concerns.
Family Caregiving, (winter) 2003-2004, 49-55.
Lachs, M., & Pillemer, K. (2004). Elder abuse:
Seminar. www.thelancet.com, 364 (October), 1263-
1272.
Levine. J. (2003). Elder neglect and abuse: A primer
for primary care physicians. Geriatrics, 58 (10), 37-
45.
Paris, B. (2003). Abuse and neglect: So prevalent yet
so elusive (editorial). Geriatrics, 58 (10), 10.
30. References (continued)
Pavlik, B., Hyman, D., Festa, N., & Bitondo Dyer, C.
(2001) Quantifying the problem of abuse and neglect
in adults—analysis of a statewide database. Journal
of the American Geriatrics Society, 49, 45-48.
Reynolds Welfel, E., Danzinger, P., & Santoro, S.
(2000). Mandated reporting of abuse/maltreatment of
older adults: A primer for counselors. Journal of
Counseling & Development, 78 (summer), 284-292.
Wolf, R., (2001). Introduction: The nature and scope
of elder abuse. Generations, Summer, 6-12.
31. Resources
Aitken, L. & Griffin, G. (1996). Gender issues in elder
abuse. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Ltd.
Journal of elder abuse & neglect. Haworth
Maltreatment & Trauma Press.
Quinn, M. & Tomita, S. (1997). Elder abuse and
neglect: Causes, diagnosis, and intervention
strategies (2nd
Ed). New York, NY: Springer Publishing
Company.
Tatara, T. (1999). Understanding elder abuse in
minority populations. Philadelphia, PA:
Brunner/Mazel (a member of the Taylor & Francis
Group).