The prevalence of elder abuse in institutional settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

The prevalence of elder abuse in institutions is high. Global action to improve surveillance and monitoring of institutional elder abuse is vital to inform policy action to prevent elder abuse.

Elder abuse and neglect: an overlooked patient safety issue. A focus group study of nursing home leaders’ perceptions of elder abuse and neglect

“…Little is known about elder abuse in nursing homes, and compared to research on other forms of interpersonal abuse, research about elder abuse in nursing homes is still in its infancy [1,2]. Although no national prevalence data are available in any country internationally, high rates of elder abuse and neglect have been reported in nursing homes, including Norway [1,3]. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), elder abuse has been identified in almost every country where these institutions exist [4].…”

“…The definition from 'Protecting Our Future: Report from the Working Group on Elder Abuse' (Ireland) includes physical, psychological, financial and sexual abuse, and neglect (Table 2) [12]. Abuse in nursing homes may also be categorized according to type of relation [1]; staff-toresident abuse [3,13], family-to-resident abuse [14,15] and resident-to-resident abuse, also called resident-toresident aggression [16,17].…”

“…A recent meta-analysis of the prevalence of elder abuse in long-term care settings estimated a pooled prevalence of 64.2% of abuse perpetrated by staff in the past year, where psychological abuse and neglect had the highest prevalence [1]. A survey of 16 nursing homes in the central part of Norway found that 91% of staff had observed a colleague engaging in some form of inadequate care, and 87% of staff reported that they themselves had perpetrated some form of inadequate care in the past [3].…”

“…A study from the Czech Republic found that nursing home staff had observed relatives participating in financial exploitation combined with psychological pressure on residents in nursing homes [14]. However, comparing findings in the literature on elder abuse in nursing homes is challenging because definitions and understandings of abuse can vary in different cultures, jurisdictions, and among health care staff, researchers, family members, and residents themselves [1,2,11,[19][20][21]. Different understandings of what constitutes abuse and its severity complicate detecting, reporting and managing the problem.…”

The Impact of Abuse on the Quality of Life of the Elderly: A Population-based Survey in Iran

“…It may also include the violation of personal rights and neglect [1]. The WHO reported that around 1 in 6 people aged 60 years and older experience some form of abuse in their communities annually [7,8]. Furthermore, the prevalence of elder abuse has been reported to be 1-15%, and it may impact 1 in 10 elderly individuals each month [1].…”