Hakime Aslan
Inonu University Faculty of Health Sciences, Turkey
Title: The incidence and influencing factors of elder abuse and neglect
Biography
Biography: Hakime Aslan
Abstract
Introductıon: The increase of the elderly population throughout the world has brought various health problems. In the last few years, one of the main topics for discussion has been the abuse and neglect of the elderly, which has psychosocial aspects (1, 2, 3). Abuse of the elderly is a form of domestic violence that has been observed more in the last thirty years. Abuse can be found in every society, culture, and at every economic level. It is not only a domestic or a nation-wide problem; it is a serious social problem. Elder abuse is evident in institutions providing health and social services. In such places, elder abuse results in physical and psychological damage, and in exploitation of the elderly (1, 4). This research is carried out to identify the incidence of abuse and neglect of individuals over the age of 65, who live in the city center of Malatya in Turkey, and the related factors.
Method: The population of this research consists of 4,291 individuals age 65 and over who were registered in Family Health Centers in “Göztepe, Kernek, TaÅŸtepe, and Ä°stasyon” located in Malatya. The sample is identified as 451 elderly through use of the sample size determination formula, with a 95% confidence interval and a 0.05 significance level.
Findings: Of the elderly people in the study, 1.3% stated that they consistently experienced physical abuse, 0.8% noted that they regularly encountered financial exploitation, and 2.9% held that they werefrequently sexually abused. Also, 5.3% of the respondents noted that they were always neglected and that they experienced moderate emotional abuse. It was found that the level of abuse that elderly individuals regularly experience is low. It was observed that the study participants who were older, single women, poorly educated and low-income experienced the most abuse. They also had broken families.
Result: In light of these findings, our study recommends the following:
(1) nurses should evaluate each elderly patient to determine if there is abuse and neglect
(2) they should closely observe and monitor each case andeducate the abused elderly individuals and their families
(3) nurses should pay particular attention to raising awareness of the elderly who are among high-risk groups
(4) nurses should offer counselling for the abused and neglected elderly individuals, and inform them about support and social service organizations.