Public perceptions of the neglect and mistreatment of older people: findings of a United Kingdom survey

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 919-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHEREEN HUSSEIN ◽  
JILL MANTHORPE ◽  
BRIDGET PENHALE
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Older Person ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Relative Prevalence ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Vulnerable Adults

ABSTRACTLarge surveys of the general population's perceptions of the neglect and mistreatment of older people are few. This article provides evidence about the public's awareness of ‘elder abuse’ at a time of considerable media and political interest in the subject in many countries. It presents the findings of a survey of 1,000 adults' knowledge of the neglect and mistreatment of older people in the UK. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used to examine: variations in the perception of the existence of neglect or mistreatment of older people, the perceived relative prevalence of knowing an older person who had been subject to such experiences, the type and place of such experiences and knowledge of sources of help in such circumstances. The key findings are that older people believed that there is less neglect and mistreatment of older people than younger people, that women perceived more than men, and that there were regional variations in these perceptions. One-quarter said they knew an older person who had experienced neglect or mistreatment, and such reports were most likely among the middle aged and women. The most frequently reported locations of abuse were care homes and hospitals, and the most commonly reported form was inadequate or insufficient personal care. Most people said they would contact social services or paid carers if they encountered neglect or mistreatment. The findings are discussed in the light of increased policy attention to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, and the implications for research, practice and campaigning organisations are considered.

Sustaining the self in later life: supporting older people in the community

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
DENISE TANNER
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
The Uk

This paper emanates from a small-scale qualitative study, currently in progress, looking at the implications for older people of decisions made by a social services department that they are ineligible for service provision. While the operation of eligibility criteria in the UK has been shown to exclude an increasing number of prospective users from receiving a service, little is known about how those refused a service contend with their difficulties or the implications these strategies have for them. The paper focuses on themes that have emerged during the first phases of the study in relation to how older people endeavour to manage their ‘unmet need’. It is suggested that a key integrative theme concerns their efforts to maintain a positive sense of self indicating, it is argued, the need for processes involved in the seeking, receiving and giving of help to be managed in a way that sustains the sense of self of the older person.

Violation of ethical principles in institutional care for older people

2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radka Bužgová ◽  
Kateřina Ivanová
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Institutional Care ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Unethical Conduct ◽  
Inadequate Knowledge ◽  
Employees Satisfaction ◽  
Mental Problems

This study focuses on issues of elder abuse in residential settings. Violation of ethical principles is shown in the results of this quantitative study aimed at defining the extent, nature and causes of such abuse by employees’ unethical conduct towards clients in senior homes (i.e. residential nursing homes) in the Moravian-Silesian region of the Czech Republic. The research sample comprised 454 employees and 488 clients from 12 residential homes for older people. The data were collected from interviews with clients, who also received a questionnaire concerning their satisfaction with the institution. Two questionnaires were administered to the employees, one based on a pilot qualitative study and a second to investigate burnout. Outcomes were assessed according to the extent and form of elder abuse, the causes of elder abuse and the violation of basic ethical principles. The responses, in particular those of employees, revealed both psychological and physical abuse of older clients, and thus violation of two basic principles: respect for the person and non-maleficence. The group at risk of elder abuse comprised aggressive and dissatisfied clients, as well as those with mental problems and dementia. The employees most at risk of being abusers were those who had been employed in institutional care for more than five years, had inadequate knowledge about social services and suffered from burnout. The prevention of elder abuse is recommended to be through education focused on ethical principles, increasing employees’ satisfaction by promoting a friendly and safe organizational culture, and providing adequate working conditions.

scholarly journals Domestic Homicide of Older People (2010–15): A Comparative Analysis of Intimate-Partner Homicide and Parricide Cases in the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1234-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Bows
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Intimate Partner Homicide ◽  
Domestic Homicide ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Older Men And Women

AbstractDespite half a century of research on both domestic violence and elder abuse, homicide of older people by a partner or family member (domestic homicide (DH)) remains largely unexplored. This article presents data drawn from a larger parent study examining homicide of older people (aged sixty and over) in the UK. This analysis is based on a subset of cases that would fall within current definitions of DH (n = 221). Analysis reveals differences in DH of older men and women in relation to the perpetrator gender and relationship and differences between intimate-partner homicides and those perpetrated by other family members. Implications for research, theory and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Care of older people with mental illness

1999 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Jolley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Major Health ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Social Difficulties ◽  
The Uk

Older people comprise an increasingly significant proportion of the population of the UK and other developed countries. Most remain fit and able to make continuing contributions to their families and society, but they are at risks of periods of ill health and other stresses. Dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease, is one of the major health problems of our times and particularly affects older people. Mental ill health, physical ill health and social difficulties are often intertwined, calling for close working between health and social services to provide appropriate help for patients and their carers.

scholarly journals Social work

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 713-719
Author(s):  
Jill Manthorpe
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Older People ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Elder Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Client Group ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Group Preferences ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Work Education

Alison J. Hirschel, 1996. Setting the stage: the advocates' struggle to address neglect in Philadelphia nursing homes. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 8, 3, 5–20.Raymond Jack and Stephen Mosley, 1997. The client group preferences of Diploma in Social Work students. British Journal of Social Work, 27, 2, 893–912.Ruth Landau, 1997. Ethical judgement and decision making orientation in social work. Issues in Social Work Education, 17, 2, 66–81.The abuse of older people has seized the imagination of social workers, and conferences or training on the subject are frequently well subscribed. For many, the concept appears to have brought together aspects of their concerns about older people, while perhaps helping to justify their professional or academic interest. The reality of abuse remains generally unreported so any material derived from ‘real’ events that is well documented and carefully analysed is likely to be thought-provoking and influential.

The older person with diabetes: considerations for care

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 282-286
Author(s):  
Jill Hill
Keyword(s):  
Renal Impairment ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Competency Assessment ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Glucose Lowering ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Uk

The UK has an ageing population more and more elderly people are living with diabetes. Jill Hill explores the condition as well as other healthcare challenges that comes with caring for this particular patient group With the increasingly ageing population worldwide, more older people are living with diabetes. The conditions that often accompany older age, such as dementia, renal impairment, visual impairment and manual dexterity difficulties, can make diabetes management complex and self-care challenging. However, the status of older people varies considerably, and so choice of glucose-lowering agents and clinical targets should be individualised to maximise safety and ensure that the risks of treatments do not outweigh the benefits. For many patients, there will be an increasing dependence on others to manage their diabetes care, therefore an appropriate skill mix among health professionals and carers, adequate training and regular competency assessment are crucial to support patients to remain safe and symptom free from diabetes.

Discrimination of older people in Serbia

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 861-861
Author(s):  
N. Todorovic ◽  
A. Milicevic Kalasic ◽  
M. Vracevic
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Verbal Abuse ◽  
Red Cross ◽  
Older Person ◽  
The Public ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Civil Sector ◽  
General Community

Abuse of older people is a single or a repeated act or a failure to act happening in a relationship between two persons based on trust that causes pain or disturbance on the part of the older person. Red Cross of Serbia is the initiator and the founding member of Humanas (the network of 15 civil society organisations dealing with the issues of older people) and is spearheading a campaign of sensitisation of the public in relation to discrimination, neglect and abuse of older people.Humanas has educated volunteers in Elder Abuse and Discrimination prevention.A survey has been done in 8 cities in Serbia polling 250 older people of both sexes, age 65 or above. The survey results demonstrate that 44% of all the polled people are familiar with the existence of abuse. Alarmingly, as high as 32% of older people have been exposed to some form of abuse, with the most frequent form being verbal abuse (11.2%) The polled older people have stressed that they hate being called names, made fun of and called stupid or illiterate, within their families as well as in the general community. As for prevention, 52% of the polled older people think that ‘everybody’, meaning both public and civil sector should play a role in prevention.ConclusionThe problem of abuse of older people has to be approached from a multi-sector and multi-disciplinary perspective. The emphasis should be on new, deeper surveys, education of professionals, family members and other care takers.

scholarly journals Recognition of elder abuse by home care workers and older people in Romania

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioana Caciula ◽  
Gill Livingston ◽  
Rodica Caciula ◽  
Claudia Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Home Care Service ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Home Care Workers

ABSTRACTBackground: No previous studies have considered elder abuse in Eastern Europe. We aimed to determine the proportion of home care workers and older people receiving care in a Romanian home care service who correctly identified elder abuse in a vignette, and who had detected elder abuse at work.Methods: In 2009, care workers and clients of a non-government home care organization serving four areas in Romania completed the Caregiver Scenario Questionnaire to measure ability to identify abuse. We asked the professionals whether they had detected a case of abuse.Results: 35 (100%) professionals and 79 (65.8%) older people took part. Four (11.4%) professionals had encountered a case of elder abuse, two (5.7%) in the last year. No staff and only one older person correctly identified all four abusive strategies in a vignette. Staff with more professional caregiving experience recognized fewer abusive strategies (r = −0.46, p = 0.007).Conclusion: Rates of identification were worryingly low among all professionals, and this was more marked if they had worked longer, suggesting their experiences may have reduced their ability to detect it. Mandatory abuse training for care professionals, and strategies to support reporters of suspected abuse, could help improve the management of elder abuse in all countries.

An exploration of service responses to domestic abuse among older people: findings from one region of the UK

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 202-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie McGarry ◽  
Christine Simpson ◽  
Kathryn Hinsliff-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Domestic Abuse ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Conceptual Clarity ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Dedicated Service ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – Domestic abuse continues to be largely hidden phenomenon. For older survivors this invisibility is further compounded by conceptual confusion surrounding domestic abuse and other forms of family violence. The purpose of this paper is to explore service responses to abuse among older people from across a range of sectors. Where possible the perspectives of older people themselves were explored. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach incorporating postal questionnaires and semi-structured telephone interviews. Agencies and organizations from both the statutory and voluntary sector who provided specific domestic abuse support services or general services and support for older people (aged 59 years and over) and older people, either as survivors of abuse or with an interest in the development of services for older people within one region of the UK were invited to take part in the project. In total, 18 individuals from a range of agencies and three older women survivors agreed to take part in the study. Findings – The findings highlighted three main themes, first, lack of conceptual clarity between domestic abuse and elder abuse, second, complexity of family dynamics and abusive relationships, and third, deficit in dedicated service provision for older survivors. The findings are discussed within the context of the existing literature and key recommendations include wider recognition of the significance of inter-professional education, training and working practices. Originality/value – This paper identifies the complexities and challenges that continue to face organizations in terms of recognition and provision of services for older survivors of abuse.

Progress Towards Partnership? The Development of Relations between Primary Care Organisations and Social Services Concerning Older People's Services in the UK

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirstein Rummery
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Care Groups ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Uk

This paper will present evidence from the interim results of a large scale longitudinal project designed to track the development of partnership working between the new primary care organisations (Primary Care Groups and Trusts) entrusted with the commissioning and in some cases provision of health care, and local authority social services departments, regarding health and social care services for older people in the UK. Drawing on theoretical work concerning the role of partnership working in the governance of welfare, the author uses a framework originally devised by the Nuffield Centre for Health at the University of Leeds to analyse the interim data, and to draw conclusions about the feasibility of current policy pushes towards partnership working and service integration around health and social care for older people.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document