A Review on the Prevalence and Measurement of Elder Abuse in the Community

Abstract

Current evidences show that elder abuse is a common problem in both developed and developing countries. It is important that social, health care, and legal systems take these findings into consideration in screening for abuse or reforming existing services to protect the health and welfare of the elderly.

Insight Into Elder Abuse Among Urban Poor of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—A Middle‐Income Developing Country

“…Almost 10% of elderly adults interviewed disclosed that they had been abused in the past 12 months. This figure corroborates prevalence rates found in other Asian countries, which range from 14.0% to 27.5% . Previous local studies had also identified a lack of awareness of elder abuse within the wider community, including healthcare workers .…”

“…Depressed elderly adults were more likely to be abused than others, which is a finding that was common to eight of the 26 studies reviewed previously . Currently employed elderly adults earn little, with most being in manual categories of work.…”

“…This contributes to what little the family earns. Many studies relate lower levels of family income to higher odds of abuse, which may explain why older adults who are employed are more vulnerable to financial abuse.…”

Physical Abuse of Elderly Adults: Victim Characteristics and Determinants of Revictimization

“…Approximately 8.3 per 1,000 adults aged 60 and older are victims of some form of elder mistreatment in the United States annually based on Adult Protective Services (APS) data, of which 13% involve physical and sexual abuse, but research indicates that fewer than 10% of cases are reported to APS . Community‐based surveys have reported higher annual rates, ranging from 1% to 5% of elderly experiencing elder mistreatment in the United States . Lifetime prevalence of elder physical abuse is estimated to range from 2% to 3% and may represent a large proportion of total violent crime against elderly adults…”

The association between exposure to interpersonal violence and suicide among women: a systematic review

“…27 A World Health Organization (WHO) multi-country study found that 15-71% of women had experienced violence (physical, sexual or both) by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. The prevalence of elder abuse is less clear with a wide variation in reported rates, 31 however it is estimated that 10% of elders experience some form of abuse. Child abuse is also a global phenomenon.…”