Elder Abuse in a Developing Area in Bolivia

Insights into caregivers' perspectives on abuse of older persons: a qualitative exploratory study in southwest Nigeria

OBJECTIVE

Elder abuse perpetration by caregivers is well documented, particularly from the perspectives of older persons who are victims of abuse. However, few studies in Nigeria have examined the caregivers' viewpoints. This study explored the perception about the perpetration of elder abuse perpetration among adults aged 18-59 in Nigeria.

DESIGN

Using a qualitative descriptive approach, this study generated data through four in-depth interviews (IDIs) and eight focus group discussions (FGDs). All IDIs and FGDs were audiorecorded, transcribed coded and analysed thematically with Atlas ti.

SETTING

Rural and urban communities in Oyo State, southwest Nigeria.

PARTICIPANTS

73 purposively selected adults who had provided care for or lived near an older person in southwestern Nigeria.

RESULTS

Types of elder abuse identified were verbal (grumbling, insulting, snapping and shouting at older persons), physical (shoving and beating an older person) and neglect (refusing to render assistance, cook or carry out chores for an older person). Participants believed relatives of older persons were unlikely to perpetrate abuse compared with neighbours and paid caregivers. They, however, felt that people whose parents had maltreated them during childhood could perpetrate abuse especially neglect of their older parents. Identified possible provocation for abuse included an unkempt physical appearance, poor attitude or offensive behaviour in the older person. Participants further opined that lack of communal unity or mutual respect, loss of moral ideals and religious values and erosion of cultural values could also provide an environment where elder abuse can thrive.

CONCLUSION

Interventions for community-level prevention of elder abuse can leverage on the identified moral and religious values, relationship and cultural factors for successful deployment.

Relationship between emotional elder abuse and developmental function of the family

AIM

This study aimed to assess the relationship between emotional elder abuse and the developmental function of the family.

DESIGN

Community-based correlational cross-sectional study was conducted.

METHODS

Data were collected on 265 older adults from July to October 2019 in Tehran-Iran. The samples were selected by simple random sampling and they completed self-report tools: demographic information, emotional elder abuse developmental function in the family. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics and SPSS software v.16.

RESULTS

Mean score of the developmental function in the family was 67.38 (SD = 3.22, range = 0-129). There was a significant negative correlation between the total score of developmental function in the families and emotional elder abuse. Moreover, there was a relationship between the subscale of care and regulation, being attracted to human relationships, purposeful exchange, and creating representatives and ideas with emotional elder abuse.

Elder Abuse in the Iberian Peninsula and Bolivia: A Multicountry Comparative Study

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of abuse of vulnerable older persons in the family and community environment in the following regions-Spain (Andalusia-Córdoba), Portugal (Azores), and Bolivia (Santa Cruz de la Sierra)-and to identify risk factors and delineate a profile of abused older persons. For this, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample consisted of people in the age group 65 years plus living in the catchment areas of health centers. The following were used as instruments to collect data: the medical record of the patients of relevant health centers, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), daily activities autonomy test, adaptability, partnership, growth, affection, and resolve (APGAR) familiar test, The Elder Abuse Suspicion Index (EASI) and the Social Work Evaluation Form. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with abuse. Suspected abuse was identified in 6.9% of the elderly who participated in the study in Spain, 39% in Bolivia, and 24.5% in Azores. In all areas, studied psychological abuse was the most common type of abuse. In conclusion, although the prevalence of abuse to older people in the family and community environment differs in the areas studied, it is present in all countries and the data are comparable with other developing and European countries. The profile of the abused older persons appears to be similar in all countries.

Prevalence and associated factors of elder psychological abuse- a cross- sectional screening study, based on a hospitalized community from Poland

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present work was to exploring the prevalence, perpetrators and predictors of elder psychological abuse.

METHOD

We conducted the cross- sectional study, based on a hospitalized community. The sample consisted of 200 respondents aged ≥60. The Chi-square test and logistic regression models were used.

RESULTS

A total of 29 % respondents experienced at least one type of psychological abuse in the last 12 months. The percentage of women who statistically more often than men experienced arrogance, isolating, insulting and mocking was 71-77 %. It has been shown that the lower the monthly income, the higher the risk of psychological violence. Statistically, the highest percentage of violence in the form of arrogance, vulgarity and blackmail, threats was recorded in people aged 60-65 (48.9 % and 56.3 %, respectively). On the other hand, logistic regression analysis showed that the oldest respondents aged >70 more than three times more often than people from the youngest age category are victims of violence. The rate of arrogance, vulgarity (odd ratio (OR) 2.90;p < 0.01) and mocking (OR 3.56; p < 0.01) is statistically significantly higher, respectively, in people living in towns than in villages. People with chronic diseases are statistically more likely to experience violence in the form of isolation (OR 4.74; p = 0.04). Cohabitants, spouses or sons are the most frequent perpetrators of elder abuse and neglect.

CONCLUSION

This study reveals that statistically more often, psychological abuse is experienced by women, older adults living in urban areas and people with a low socioeconomic status and chronic disease.

The prevalence and associated risk factors of elder abuse among older people applied to the family health center in the rural district of Turkey

In this study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with older people who applied to the family health center (N = 152) in the traditional rural district of Turkey. Although the prevalence rate was 23%, the mean value of "Characteristics of the elder that make him or her vulnerable to abuse" subscale (X̄ = .37) was highest among other subscales. The mean values for "Characteristics of potentially abusive situations" (X̄ = .06) and "Overt violation of personal rights and direct abuse" (X̄ = .05) were quite low. The majority of the elder abuse prevalence was composed of participants who were vulnerable to elder abuse. The rural area makes older individuals vulnerable to abuse. Also, risk factors associated with elder abuse in rural areas were interaction with family (p = .000), interaction with neighbors/friends (p = .001), chronic diseases (p = .002), psychiatric diseases (p = .007), gender and marital status (p = .008), and additional income (p = .028), respectively. The only predictor of elder abuse in rural areas was family interaction. There was a significant negative relationship between rural elder abuse and family interaction (T= -4.239, p < .001).

Elder abuse and associated factors in eastern romania

BACKGROUND

This article explores elder abuse in a hospitalised population. We wanted to identify details related to psychological and emotional abuse in the older population in our region and to determine the importance of the Elderly Abuse Suspicion Index (EASI^© ) in comprehensive geriatric assessments.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study conducted between March 2015 and May 2016 included 386 consecutive hospitalised patients over 65 years of age. All patients underwent a geriatric assessment, data were collected about their medical history, and the EASI^© was administered to each. The main outcome was identifying the presence, the type of abuse and the factors associated with abuse.

RESULTS

There were 21.5% of patients who suffered any form of abuse. Women were more frequently abused than men. Emotional abuse was the most common (60.2%) followed by neglect (53%) and physical abuse (22.91%); sexual abuse was absent in our study group. The abused patients had an impaired cognitive function (P = 0.034). They were also malnourished (P ≤ 0.001) and depressed (P = 0.001). The presence of peripheral artery disease, stroke, pneumonia, chronic kidney disease, musculoskeletal diseases and anxiety correlated with the presence of abuse. No statistically significant correlation was found between the degree of independence in instrumental activities of daily living and the presence of abuse (r = 0.105, P = 0.051).

CONCLUSIONS

EASI is a tool for detecting elder abuse and should be included in the standard geriatric assessment to prevent ageism. The number of abused elderly patients is significant, and the multiple factors associated with abuse are diverse.

Frailty Syndrome: A Risk Factor Associated With Violence in Older Adults

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to analyze the association between frailty syndrome as a risk factor associated with violence in older adults.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study, carried out with older adults, in an emergency care unit of a northeastern Brazilian city was conducted. Three instruments were used: a form for sample characterization (i.e., demographics) and two more scales, namely, the Edmonton Frail Scale and the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test. The results were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics, using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests, Spearman's correlation test, and simple logistic regression.

RESULTS

The sample included 146 older adults who were over 70 years old (56.6%), male (56.2%), and at risk of violence (69.86%). Among the categorical variables, there was an association between risk and being of a higher age (80.7%, p < 0.001), unemployed (73.7%, p < 0.05), having more than six children (80.8%, p < 0.05), and frail older adults (88.1%, p < 0.001). There was a correlation (p < 0.05) between the numerical variables of the scales of violence and frailty, with a coefficient of 0.40. The simple logistic regression model showed that frailty syndrome increases the risk of violence among older adults.

CONCLUSIONS

It was concluded that frailty is a factor that increases the occurrence of risk of violence and provides information to guide nursing action in the field of forensic sciences.