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The purpose of this study was to explore how social workers identify elder abuse, factors they find contribute to or protect from elder abuse, and cultural considerations they identify as important. The qualitative research approach was utilized, and an interview instrument was created to explore participants’ perceptions and generate recommendations for developing cultural sensitivity in practice. The study sample consisted of 10 social workers with experience working with the elderly population recruited by snowball sampling. Face-to-face interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed for analysis. This study found that social workers are particularly knowledgeable about risk factors for elder abuse and cultural considerations, such as client perception of seeking help and accepting services as taboo, and the greater effectiveness of a social worker who shares the same cultural background. A key finding was social workers’ perceived need for education in developing cultural sensitivity, including formal trainings, consultation with client families, and self-awareness. Implications for social work practice include the development of new and more comprehensive training programs, such that specifically incorporates cultural sensitivity. Greater opportunities for education call for increased funding, and mandatory cultural sensitivity trainings call for changes in policy. Future research is needed to understand client perceptions of elder abuse and of service providers. Finally, future research on elder abuse and cultural factors beyond race and ethnicity, such as sexual orientation and religion, is also needed.

A descriptive correlational design based on an adapted model of Donabedian’s Structure, Process, Outcome model and Benner’s Novice to Expert theory was used to examine the clinical decision-making of nurses regarding elder abuse. The relationship of the nurses applied knowledge (assessment cues) of elder abuse; demographic questions (e.g. years of experience as a Registered Nurse (RN) and their clinical level of practice status), the use of intuition in nursing practice; and clinical decision outcomes (interventions) for patients in cases of suspected elder abuse was examined. A convenience sample of RNs who worked in the emergency department (ED) in three acute care hospitals, in southeastern United States were asked to complete questionnaires on education about elder abuse, their intuition use, demographic information, applied knowledge of elder abuse, and clinical decision outcomes for suspected elder abuse. The majority of the nurses had participated in the clinical level of practice status program.The convenience sample of 84 RNs consisted of 68 females (81%) and 16 males (19%). The average age of the respondents was 41.43 years. The mean number of years worked as a RN was 13.87 years. Multiple regression results indicated an overall model of two predictors (RNs applied knowledge (assessment cues) and years worked as a RN) significantly predicted clinical decision outcomes (interventions). The model accounted for 25.1% variance in clinical decision outcomes. The t-test revealed there was no difference (applied knowledge (assessment cues) of elder abuse, intuition use in nursing, years working as a RN, clinical level of practice status, and clinical decision outcomes (interventions)) between RNs who received elder abuse education at orientation and those who did not receive the education. The study results suggest that years of working as a nurse supported elder abuse recognition and intervention. The clinical level of practice status of nurses was found not to be a sensitive indicator. Elder abuse education during orientation varied between the hospital settings. The results indicate the educational need for nurses regarding suspected elder abuse.

Background: Adults over 60 years of age in the United States are increasing in total percentage of the population and will continue to do so as each wave of the post-war, baby-boom generation enters older adulthood. Though elder mistreatment (EM) has undoubtedly been a public health problem for years, only recently has it been recognized as such. Violence prevention programs that focus on EM are needed to curb this rising epidemic. One such program, the At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics (ACT) Certification Training, is an at-risk, adult (elderly or disabled adults) prevention program designed to increase professional awareness of this population and equip primary and secondary responders (all mandated reporters) with the knowledge and skills to address the needs of Georgia’s at-risk adult crime victims. Methodology: In order to assess the effectiveness of the ACT training, an invitation was emailed to 482 individuals who had previously completed the ACT Certification Training, inviting them to complete an (approximately) 20 minute, 41-question, online survey. Data analyses were performed to determine if these various professionals had, post ACT training, increased knowledge regarding at-risk adult abuse, increased interagency collaboration, changed management of cases involving at-risk adults, and felt that workshop topics presented during training were helpful in their profession. The survey also collected information on seven demographic indicators, and correlation analyses were run to determine their influence on survey responses. A p-value of < .05 was used to determine statistical significance of the analyses performed. Results: Of the 482 professionals surveyed, 176 surveys were used for this research (a response rate of slightly over thirty-six percent). Results show that, post ACT training, respondents’ reported significantly increased levels of knowledge regarding all at-risk abuse topics, significantly increased interagency collaboration across all included agencies, significant change in case management of at-risk adults, significant levels of helpfulness on all workshop topics presented during ACT training. Furthermore, demographic analyses found significant negative correlations between extent of change in case management of at-risk adults and the demographic indicators of education and age. Also, a positive correlation was found between reported level of helpfulness on one workshop topic (community resources) and the service area of respondents. Conclusions: Though the results of this survey are quite positive, more surveys need to be conducted on future classes of ACT training graduates to determine the validity of this study’s results. Moreover, in order to truly substantiate claims that ACT training prevents EM and other at-risk adult abuse, research must be conducted to document the link between this prevention program and improvements in EM outcomes.

Little is known about Korean older migrants and their lives in New Zealand. They are likely to be ‘invisible’ in the community and wider society. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the issue of elder mistreatment and filial piety among Korean immigrant families in New Zealand. The study was designed with a mixed methodological approach that utilised both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Data were collected from three sources: key informant interviews with 20 key informants, a structured survey with 50 older people, and in-depth interviews with 10 abused persons. Data were analysed by employing a two-fold analytical approach. In the primary analysis, concept mapping and SPSS analysis were respectively used to analyse the data collected from qualitative and quantitative studies. Major points of the findings emerged from the secondary analysis in which all data were evaluated by utilising the concept mapping method in an integrated way. Elder mistreatment occurred among Korean older migrants who arrived in New Zealand during their old age. The findings of the study have shown how older people manage their experiences of elder abuse and neglect in the new country. Psychological and emotional effects of elder mistreatment have been highlighted in relation to ‘Hwa-byung’, a culture-bound anger syndrome among victims. The concept of ‘anomic abuse’ has been developed based on the experiences and perceptions of older people who faced difficulties with their offspring because of changes in cultural norms and regulations. The concept of ‘filiality’ is presented as an alternative term to ‘filial piety’ reflecting the emphasis on filial love and emotional closeness between generations in the care of older people. The study has provided a filial justice approach to working with older people as a framework to tackle the problem of elder mistreatment in domestic settings in order to promote the human rights, well-being and health of older people. / Thesis available in print.

The purposes of this secondary study were to explore the case detection phenomena of elder abuse by determining the congruence between nurses' assessments of abuse and elders' self-reports of abuse; to identify factors that may account for differences between abusive situations and nonabusive situations; then to describe differences between abused elders correctly identified and abused elders incorrectly identified by nurses. Both quantitative and qualitative data were used. The theory of attribution directed this research. The conceptual framework consisted of four concepts: structural factors, relationship factors, elder factors, and caregiver factors. A descriptive-comparison design was used to address the research questions. The sample included 48 elder-caregiver dyads, of whom 24 were self-reported abused elders and 24 self-reported nonabused elders. Descriptive analysis was used, including chi-square and t-tests. Results indicated that the nurses' assessments of elder abuse and elders' self reports of abuse were congruent in only one-fifth (N = 5) of the abused cases (N = 24). The findings confirmed allegations that nurses have difficulty identifying elder abuse unless outright battering is observed. Five variables were significant between abused and nonabused elders, and 10 variables were significant between abused elders correctly identified by nurses and abused elders incorrectly identified by nurses.

Over the past few months, I have been assembling a bibliography on elder abuse that will soon be published on the Web site of the Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (www.onpea.org). I brought to this inquiry the tools I developed a decade ago during a sabbatical I spent developing subject-literature expertise in gerontology. That study was focussed exclusively on the print literature. Today, however, no bibliography would be complete without addressing the multifaceted nature of communication. Not only is there the traditional “hard copy” bibliography, there are videos, the Internet, and even the telephone. (Phone Busters, operated by the Ontario Provincial Police, does research on telemarketing scams and seniors.) I should emphasize this bibliography is not meant to be comprehensive, but a “brief bibliography” along the lines of the excellent series published by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. / Au cours des quelques derniers mois j’ai recueilli une bibliographie sur les mauvais traitements envers les personnes âgées qui sera publiée sous peu sur les site Web du Réseau ontarien de prévention des mauvais traitements à l'égard des personnes âgées (www.onpea.org). Dans cette investigation, j’ai utilisé les instruments que j’avais élaborés voilà dix ans pendant un congé sabbatique durant lequel j’ai acquis le savoir-faire relatif à la littérature-thématique en gérontologie. L’étude était exclusivement axée sur la littérature imprimée. Toutefoirs, aujourd’hui, aucune bibliographie ne serait complète sans aborder la nature diverse de la communication. À part la bibliographie traditionnelle « sur papier », il y a les vidéos, l’Internet et même le téléphone. (Phone Busters, géré par la Police provinciale de l’Ontario, fait des recherches sur le télémarketing frauduleux et les personnes âgées.) Je dois souligner que cette bibliographie n’est pas exhaustive, ce n’est qu’une «courte bibliographie » dans la tradition de l’excellente série publiée par la Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.

The purpose of this study has been to examine the unit manager’s perspective on making Lex Sarah-notifications. The study has been carries out by six semi structured interviews with persons in leading positions of the elderly from three different municipalities. They were asked about different circumstances that affects the problems with Lex Sarah. The results indicates that the unit manager’s act on elder abuse from the complex mechanisms that exist within the organization. The study results shows that the unit manager’s in the daily tasks are doing their work and solve problems regarding the risk of elder abuse that occur over time, but circumstances will determine if its documented prescribed by a Lex Sarah. The conclusion is that the unit manager’s of the elderly is limited by the circumstances and processes within the organization and that it affects them to lift up and report abuse among the elderly.

A sample of APS workers, law enforcement officers, criminal justice and social work students were surveyed. Participants were asked how much knowledge they believed professionals working in their respective fields had about elder abuse and how much those same professionals needed to know. The differences between needed and possessed knowledge, also referred to as level of anomie, was compared across groups. Students in both groups believed those working in their fields had significantly less knowledge than they needed on all elements of responding to elder abuse. APS workers and law enforcement officers felt those in their fields had enough knowledge on some elements of responding to elder abuse but not others. APS workers had the least total anomie, and criminal justice students had the most. All groups experiences significant levels of anomie on some elements of responding to elder abuse and neglect, suggesting more training is needed.

This thesis focus on the growing problem of elder mistreatment in the United States and related risk factors. In particular, focus is given to the problem of elder financial exploitation using survey analysis of an urban adult sample in the United States.