Abuse and maltreatment in the elderly

Abstract Introduction The aging population is increasing worldwide, but the abuse and mistreatment in the elderly (often silenced forms) has also been increasing, with strong implications for their quality of life. Objective To identify forms of abuse and ill-treatment in the elderly, as well as the...

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Published inAtención primaria Vol. 46; no. Suppl 5; pp. 206 - 209
Main Authors Martins, Rosa, Neto, Maria João, Andrade, Ana, Albuquerque, Carlos
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Spain Elsevier Espana 01.11.2014
Elsevier
Subjects
Abuse
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Cross-Sectional Studies
Elder Abuse - statistics & numerical data
Elderly
Female
Humans
Internal Medicine
Male
Mistreatment
Scientific article
Violence
Aging
Mistreatment
Abuse
Violence
Elderly
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Summary:Abstract Introduction The aging population is increasing worldwide, but the abuse and mistreatment in the elderly (often silenced forms) has also been increasing, with strong implications for their quality of life. Objective To identify forms of abuse and ill-treatment in the elderly, as well as the determinants of these abuses. Methodology This is a quantitative study, of the non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional type attended by 135 Portuguese elderly. It uses the Family APGAR Scale and the Question to Elicit Elder Abuse (QEEA), which was applied between January and June 2013, in the elderly residing in the central of Portugal. Results The data shows that 23.5% of the elderly have suffered some kind of abuse, these being especially of the emotional kind and neglect. We also found that the most abused elders were unmarried and widows, those who had lower academic qualifications, those who reported feeling lonely and less healthy and even those who perceive to integrate families with some degree of dysfunction. Conclusion We found that the abuse and mistreatment are present in the everyday life of many seniors and are a difficult subject to approach. The evidence, invite us to reflect on the development of intervention strategies, particularly at the levels of emotional abuse, neglect, promotion of health and family functioning in order to contribute to the reduction or extinction of abuse and ill-treatment in the elderly.
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ISSN:0212-6567
1578-1275
DOI:10.1016/S0212-6567(14)70093-9