Disclosure among victims of elder abuse in healthcare settings: a missing piece in the overall effort toward detection

Abstract

Elder abuse remains a largely hidden problem in our society and only a small minority of victims are connected to formal support/protective services. Healthcare settings have been identified as a critical milieu to uncover cases of elder abuse; however, under-detection in these settings is a major issue. Victimization disclosure is an important component within the overall detection effort, yet it has received little attention in the elder abuse literature. Drawing on relevant literature from other domains of family/interpersonal violence, this article highlights the disclosure process, as well as disclosure barriers, facilitators, and competencies to consider when working with older adults.

Counteracting domestic violence against elders in the professional practice of a nurse employed in the primary health care system

“…We can conclude that university education and/or participation in various forms of postgraduate training allow to gain knowledge and skills necessary to implement prevention of domestic violence. Results of this study correspond to results obtained by other authors [1,14,15,16] who not only confirm a relationship between the level of education of nurses and their knowledge of domestic violence (i.e. forms, symptoms, tools necessary to implement prevention), but also point out that education and information support, provided to health care personnel, are the grounds for their effective intervention and proper identification of violence against elders.…”

“…Można zaryzykować twierdzenie, że wykształcenie wyższe i/ lub uczestniczenie w formach kształcenia podyplomowego przekłada się na wiedzę i umiejętności niezbędne do realizowania profilaktyki przemocy domowej. Rezultaty niniejszego badania są zbieżne z wynikami autorów polskich [1,14,15,16], którzy Ryc. 1.…”

Elder Abuse Detection and Intervention: Challenges for Professionals and Strategies for Engagement From a Canadian Specialist Service

“…Despite the importance of EA prevention, initiatives worldwide have generally focused on professional detection of existing abuse, as well as intervention (Rosen et al, 2019). Health care providers, including forensic nurses, that encounter EA cases may be legally required to report suspected or identified cases (Lachs & Pillemer, 2015).…”

“…Despite cross-country differences, intervention has generally focused on victims. Most services targeting perpetrators are tailored only to caregivers, which ignores a large proportion of perpetrators (Labrum & Solomon, 2018;Rosen et al, 2019).…”

Observations from a Delphi Survey of administrators of U.S. nursing homes on oral neglect guidelines: a brief report

“…Elder abuse continues to be a serious public health concern in healthcare settings, especially in the U.S. (Truong, Burnes, Alaggia, Elman, & Rosen, 2019). Editorials in The American Journal of Public Health and The Lancet have specifically addressed the fact that oral health has been long neglected globally stating that the elderly "suffer disproportionately from oral diseases, and the problem is particularly acute for individuals in LTC facilities, (Lamster, 2004) and "that radical public health actions are needed" including a clear need for "broader accessibility".…”