Elder abuse in Ghana – a qualitative exploratory study

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 299-313
Author(s):  
Wenche Malmedal ◽  
Christiana Anyan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Institutional Characteristics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Elder Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Abuse And Neglect

Purpose The aim of this study was to explore how Ghanaian staff in nursing homes and hospitals perceive abuse and neglect of older adults as well as to explore the nature and scope of abuse and neglect of older adults as it exists in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study used a qualitative research methodology that sets out to explore staff’s perception of elder abuse in nursing homes and hospitals in Ghana. Five nursing assistants and two caregivers were interviewed in two nursing homes and four nurses were interviewed in one hospital. A semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection. Findings The findings showed that elder abuse occurs in both hospitals and nursing homes, which might be attributed to different personal, situational and institutional characteristics as well as cultural and traditional value systems. Various factors at the level of interpersonal relationships contributed to elder abuse. Situational characteristics such as aggressive exchanges between residents and health workers and institutional characteristics such as limited facilities and resources to care for residents are all factors that were implicated in elder abuse. Finally, culture and traditional views, beliefs system and socioeconomic factors seem to be implicated in elder abuse and neglect. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that explores elder abuse and neglect in Ghanaian nursing homes and hospitals.

Nursing home leaders' perception of factors influencing the reporting of elder abuse and neglect: a qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 655-671
Author(s):  
Janne Myhre ◽  
Wenche Karin Malmedal ◽  
Susan Saga ◽  
Joan Ostaszkiewicz ◽  
Sigrid Nakrem
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Adverse Event Reporting System ◽  
Adverse Event Reporting ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Elder Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Abuse And Neglect

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the factors that influence the reporting of adverse events related to elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes from nursing home leaders' perspectives. Good leadership requires in-depth knowledge of the care and service provided and the ability to identify and address problems that can arise in clinical practice.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative explorative design with data triangulation was used. The sample consisted of 43 participants from two levels of nursing home leadership, representing six municipalities and 21 nursing homes in Norway. Focus group interviews were undertaken with 28 ward leaders and individual interviews with 15 nursing home directors. The constant comparative method was used for the analyses.FindingsBoth ward leaders and nursing home directors described formal and informal ways of obtaining information related to elder abuse and neglect. There were differences between their perceptions of the feasibility of obtaining formal reports about abuse in the nursing home. Three main categories of influencing factors emerged: (1) organisation structural factors, (2) cultural factors and (3) abuse severity factors. A main finding is that in its present form, the Norwegian adverse event reporting system is not designed to detect abuse and neglect.Originality/valueThis paper provides an in-depth understanding of patient safety and factors related to reporting elder abuse in nursing homes in Norway.

Elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes as a reciprocal process: the view from the perspective of care workers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Gil ◽  
Manuel Luis Capelas
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Elder Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Reciprocal Process

Purpose Reciprocal abuse inside care practices remain under-studied due to their invisibility and further research is required. The purpose of this paper is to explore different levels of conflicts inside organisations. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a self-administered questionnaire filled out by care workers (n = 150), in 16 Portuguese care homes. Findings Results indicated that, overall, 54.7% of care workers had observed abuse, in their daily practice, in the preceding 12 months: 48.7% psychological; 36.0% neglectful care practices; 14.0% physical and 3.3% financial abuse. The figures decreased significantly as regards abuse committed themselves, with 16.7% of those admitting to having committed at least one of these behaviours. The highest figures were also recorded for psychological abuse (13.3%) and neglect (6.7%). However, there is a statistically significant relationship between abuse committed by care workers and abuse committed by residents. Overall, 52.0% of care workers reported having been the target of at least one such behaviour by residents. Research limitations/implications This paper has its limitations as the sample consisted of only 16 nursing homes (12 not-for-profit and 4 for-profit nursing homes). The fact that only 4 of the 16 LTC homes were for-profit is a potential limitation both in general and in particular because research has shown that lower quality of care and elder abuse and neglect are more common in for-profit nursing homes at least in Portugal. The results were also based on self-reported measures. Practical implications A reactive behaviour, the risk of retaliation, after a complaint, the difficulty in dealing with dementia and the residents' aggressive behaviour, an absence of a training and support policy in an environment where difficult working conditions prevail, are factors enhancing a reciprocal process of abuse. The analysis followed by a discussion of potential implications to prevent institutional elder abuse and neglect, based on communication and social recognition, including better working conditions and training, and a cooperative work environment. Social implications Conflict is much more than reducing an interpersonal relationship problem between residents and staff (care workers, professional staff, managers) and extending to the whole organisation. Therefore, there are still uncertainties on how organisations, staff and residents interact between themselves, and affect care practises. Originality/value Reciprocal abuse in nursing homes is an important area of research and this paper enabled a discussion of potential implications concerning the quality of care, which required the identification of levels of conflict, in an organisational system, including interactions, the context where care is provided, difficult working conditions, lack of training and levels of support. All these factors are important when considering elder abuse and neglect and this calls for special attention by policymakers and researchers.

Abuse is in the eyes of the beholder: using multiple perspectives to evaluate elder mistreatment under round-the-clock foreign home carers in Israel

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
LIAT AYALON
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Elder Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Care Recipients ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Home Care Workers

ABSTRACTThe overall goal of the study reported in this paper was to examine differences in the perceived occurrence of abuse and neglect as between older care recipients, their family carers, and foreign home-care workers in Israel. Overall, 148 matched family members and foreign home-care workers and 75 care recipients completed a survey of abuse and neglect. Significant discrepancies in their reports of neglect were found, with the foreign home-care workers more likely to identify neglect (66%) than the older adults (27.7%) or their family members (29.5%). Although the rates of reported abuse ranged between 16.4 and 20.7 per cent and the differences were not statistically significant, the different parties assigned the responsibility for the abuse to different perpetrators. The independent variables that significantly associated with abuse and neglect also varied by the three groups of participants. The findings suggest that even with round-the-clock home care, the basic needs of many older adults are not met, and that many experience substantial abuse. The study emphasises the subjective nature of abuse and neglect, and suggests that more education about what constitutes elder abuse and neglect may lead to more accurate and consistent reports across reporting sources. Incorporating data from the various stakeholders may enhance the early identification of elder abuse and neglect.

scholarly journals Elder Abuse and Neglect: Training First Responders in Rural Arkansas to Recognize, Respond, and Report

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 46-47
Author(s):  
Robin McAtee ◽  
Valerie Claar ◽  
Laura Spradley ◽  
Whitney Thomasson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Elder Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Potential Abuse ◽  
On Line ◽  
Type Of Abuse

Abstract As the incidence of elder abuse and neglect continue to rise and plague our country’s older adults, it is imperative that their plight is recognized, reported and elicits an appropriate response. At least 1 out of 10 older adults suffer from at least one type of abuse each year (DOJ, 2020) and only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is ever reported to authorities (National Center on Elder Abuse, 2019). Since 41% of Arkansas’ population live in rural areas, reaching and educating first responders who work in these areas is a priority, yet has been a challenge. It has been ascertained that virtually no elder abuse or neglect related training for first responders occurs in Arkansas. In 2015, the Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (a HRSA Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program) developed an education program and mobilized it to multiple first responder groups including the AR State Police, multiple city and county paramedics’ organizations, EMTs, local police officers and fire fighters. The program was further enhance late in 2019 when the training was made available on-line in conjunction with dementia training. The content and methods of training and test results revealing knowledge gained will be reviewed. Follow-up stories from first responders who have put their training into action in the field will be told as they reveal how they have used their training to identify potential abuse, neglect and self-neglect cases and how they have recognized, reported and addressed specific cases.

scholarly journals The psychological health consequences of elder abuse and neglect in sheltered homes

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 771-772
Author(s):  
Khulood Alraddadi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Elder Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Sheltered Homes

Abstract Background Psychological health effects of elder abuse and neglect in sheltered homes are unknown. Objectives:The objective of the present study was to determine if several types of elder abuse were related to an increased likelihood of negative psychological health. Methods Data were derived from the elder mistreatment in sheltered homes project, a cross-sectional study conducted in 2018 that included 446 older adults living in 43 sheltered homes.A face-to-face interview was carried out to complete structured questionnaires for participants to assess the psychological health effects of different subtypes of elder abuse. Results All subtypes of elder abuse were significantly associated with increased prevalence rates of depressive symptoms and sleep problems. Similarly, all subtypes except physical abuse were associated with higher rates of anxiety symptoms. In multivariate regression analysis, Older adults who reported physical mistreatment were three times more likely to experience suicidal ideation(OR=3.28, 95% CI=1.14 to 9.44), while no other subtypes were significantly associated with suicidal ideation.Older adults who report at least one type of abuse were eight times more likely to have depressive symptoms (OR=7.99, 95% CI=4.43 to 14.41), twice as likely to screen positive for anxiety symptoms(OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.20 to 3.49), three times more likely to have sleep problems (OR=3.20, 95% (CI=1.78 to 5.75). All subtypes of abuse were significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms, sleep problems, and anxiety symptoms except physical mistreatment. Conclusion Abuse is common among older adults living in sheltered homes and is associated with negative impacts on psychological health.

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