ELDER ABUSE

Research Highlights

• As with all forms of family violence, abuse and neglect of older adults is largely a hidden problem.
• Between 4% and 10% (58,000 to 145,000) of Ontario's seniors experience some type of abuse. The most common form is financial abuse, followed by emotional and physical abuse and neglect.
• Abuse can occur in private dwellings or in institutions at the hands of spouses, children, other relatives, professional caregivers or other persons in situation of trust.
• The main issue in preventing and addressing elder abuse in Guelph-Wellington is community awareness and education.

What is Elder Abuse?
Elder abuse is defined as any action by a person in a position of trust that causes harm to a senior.¹ It may take the form of financial, emotional or physical abuse or neglect. The abuse of older adults is usually a hidden problem since most victims are reluctant to report being abused. Feelings of shame and family loyalty, and fears about retaliation, abandonment, and institutionalization are some of the factors that keep victims from speaking out. Seniors experiencing poor physical or mental health, and financial or emotional dependency, are more at risk for mistreatment.

Elder abuse may occur in the home, in a residential setting, or in the community. A 1998 study involving 31 nursing homes reported that 36% of nursing home staff had witnessed the physical abuse of an older adult and 81% had witnessed some form of psychological abuse.² Most cases of abuse occur in domestic rather than institutional settings.³

Prevalence of Elder Abuse
According to Ontario’s Strategy to Combat Elder Abuse (2003):⁴

• Between 4% and 10% (58,000 to 145,000) of Ontario's seniors experience some type of abuse. The most common form is financial abuse, followed by emotional and physical abuse and neglect.
• 75% of persons who experience abuse have at least one major mental or physical impairment.
• Among seniors who have been physically abused, 68% report that the assault was committed by a family member.
• Abusive family members include adult children (42%) and spouses (31%).
• Female seniors (38%) are more likely to be abused than male seniors (18%).
• Male seniors (9%) are more likely to report financial or emotional abuse, compared to female seniors (5%).

Violent Crimes Against Seniors
According to police-reported statistics (2000), 28% of senior victims of violent crime had been victimized by a family member.⁵ Common assault was the most frequent offence experienced by older adults from family members (54%). The most frequent offence experienced by older adults by non-family members was robbery (30%). As illustrated in the graph below, more than half of family members accused of violent crimes against seniors are aged 25-44 years and 65 years and
over.

Risk Factors
Several theories have tried to explain the existence of elder abuse. A combination of psychological, social, and economic factors may contribute, along with the mental and physical conditions of the victim and the abuser.⁶

Key risk factors include:

• Impairment of the senior – the greater the impairment or severity of illness, the more likely it is that the sufferer will be abused.
• Existing family violence – if violence is a common response to tension or conflict and has been practised by several generations within a family, elder abuse will be more likely to occur.
• Personal problems of the abusers – abusers themselves are more likely to have mental health problems, substance abuse issues and/or financial problems.⁷
• Caregiver stress – abuse is more likely if the senior has challenging mental health problems and/or physical care needs that the caregiver is not capable of fulfilling.

Elder abuse is complex and requires a multi-disciplinary approach as no individual profession has the full picture. It does not usually resolve spontaneously or quickly. Abusive situations tend to be repetitive and abuse tends to continue unless a major change occurs in the milieu.

Community Supports & Services
Seniors and service providers in Wellington are committed to working together to address abuse of older adults. As a result of their collaborative effort, the following mechanisms have been put in place to support a community wide response:

Seniors Offering Support (SOS) – runs a peer telephone support line. The SOS core of trained and caring senior telephone volunteers offer fellow seniors: information on community resources; listening and support with loneliness, grief, separation, health concerns, mistreatment, and other difficult situations; assistance in accessing professional services, social service agencies and community support programs. Phone line operates Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Seniors at Risk System Coordinator – facilitates coordinated response to abuse of older adults, provides consultation on system resources and will conduct education sessions for the community.

Wellington Dufferin Elder Abuse Network – This network consists of individuals, groups, and organizations working together to create a coordinated response to abuse of older adults. Members meet regularly to improve communication within the system of services, identify gaps and heighten awareness of abuse of older adults.

An educational/training video - Elder Abuse: A Community Concern – has been produced which discusses abuse of older adults and the Wellington Dufferin collaborative response to this issue.

Wellington Dufferin Community Consultation Team – a multidisciplinary group of professions meeting regularly to discuss and provide consultation on complex cases involving seniors.

Wellington Emergency Housing for Older Adult Victims of Abuse – specific retirement homes in partnership with Wellington County Social Services will provide emergency accommodation for up-to-48 hours at no cost to the elderly victim of abuse. Accommodation depends on availability of beds.

Of the above mentioned services, United Way of Guelph & Wellington funds the SOS program.

What are the Social Service Issues in Guelph-Wellington?

Community Awareness & Education
The issue of elder abuse is considered a “taboo” topic. Consequently, the incidence is under-reported. Only one-in-six cases of elder abuse is reported, compared to one-in-three for child abuse.⁸

Seniors are reluctant to admit abuse for fear of reprisal, abandonment and institutionalization, as well as to avoid embarrassment. Detection, often complicated by denial, is therefore difficult. In many cases, victims and families refuse help.

There is a need for heightened community awareness and education. Education and dissemination are vital – both for professionals and to the general public – to combat the stigmas associated with elder abuse.

1. Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (2002). What is Elder Abuse? Retrieved from www.onpea.org.
2. Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division (2000). Elder abuse. Network, 15(4), 17-18.
3. Marshall, C (2000). Elder abuse: using clinical tools to identify clues of mistreatment. Geriatrics, 55(2), 47-50.
4. Ministry of Citizenship. (2003). Ontario's strategy to combat elder abuse. Toronto, Ontario: Ministry of Citizenship.
5. Dauvergne, M. (2003). Family violence against seniors. Canadian Social Trends, No. 68. Statistics Canada: Catalogue No. 11-008.
6. National Center on Elder Abuse. (2003). The Basics: What is Elder Abuse? Retrieved from www.elderabusecentre.org.
7. Anderson, M. ; Parent, K. ; Huestis, L. (2002). Supporting Seniors' Mental Health: A Guide for Home Care Staff. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Mental Health Association, National Office.
8. Sclater, A. (2005). Elder abuse: recognition and intervention for health care providers. The Canadian Journal of CME, January 2005, 185-93.