Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T05:40:18.673Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Public perceptions of the neglect and mistreatment of older people: findings of a United Kingdom survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 October 2007

SHEREEN HUSSEIN ,
JILL MANTHORPE  and
BRIDGET PENHALE
SHEREEN HUSSEIN*
Affiliation:
Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King's College London, UK.
JILL MANTHORPE
Affiliation:
Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King's College London, UK.
BRIDGET PENHALE
Affiliation:
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sheffield, UK.
*
Address for correspondence: Shereen Hussein, Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King's College London, The Strand, London, United Kingdom, WC2R 2LS. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Large surveys of the general population's perceptions of the neglect and mistreatment of older people are few. This article provides evidence about the public's awareness of ‘elder abuse’ at a time of considerable media and political interest in the subject in many countries. It presents the findings of a survey of 1,000 adults' knowledge of the neglect and mistreatment of older people in the UK. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used to examine: variations in the perception of the existence of neglect or mistreatment of older people, the perceived relative prevalence of knowing an older person who had been subject to such experiences, the type and place of such experiences and knowledge of sources of help in such circumstances. The key findings are that older people believed that there is less neglect and mistreatment of older people than younger people, that women perceived more than men, and that there were regional variations in these perceptions. One-quarter said they knew an older person who had experienced neglect or mistreatment, and such reports were most likely among the middle aged and women. The most frequently reported locations of abuse were care homes and hospitals, and the most commonly reported form was inadequate or insufficient personal care. Most people said they would contact social services or paid carers if they encountered neglect or mistreatment. The findings are discussed in the light of increased policy attention to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, and the implications for research, practice and campaigning organisations are considered.

Keywords

elder abuseneglectmistreatmentpublic perceptionattitudes
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 27 , Issue 6 , November 2007 , pp. 919 - 940
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acierno, R. 2003. Elder mistreatment: epidemiological assessment methodology. In Bonnie, R. J. and Wallace, R. (eds) Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation in Aging America. Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect. National Academies Press, Washington DC, 261–302.Google Scholar
Action on Elder Abuse 2006. Adult Protection Data Collection and Reporting Respondents. Action on Elder Abuse, London.Google Scholar
Age Concern New Zealand 2005. Age Concern Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services: An Analysis of Referrals for the Period 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2004. Age Concern New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Agresti, A. 1996. Introduction to Categorical Data Analysis. Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
Arai, M. 2006. Elder abuse in Japan. Educational Gerontology, 32, 1, 13–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bezerra-Flanders, W. and Clark, J. 2006. Perspectives on elder abuse and neglect in Brazil. Educational Gerontology, 32, 1, 63–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonnie, R. and Wallace, R. 2003. Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation in Aging America. Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect. National Academies Press, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Brogden, M and Nijhar, P. 2006. Crime, abuse and social harm: towards an integrated approach. In Wahidin, A. and Cain, M. (eds) Ageing, Crime and Society. Willan, Cullompton, Devon, 35–52.Google Scholar
Calnan, M., Badcott, D. and Woolhead, G. 2006. Dignity under threat? A study of the experiences of older people in the UK. International Journal of Health Services, 36, 2, 355–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Camden and Islington Community Health Services National Health Service Trust (CICHST) 1999. Beech House Inquiry: Report of the Internal Inquiry Relating to the Mistreatment of Patients Residing at Beech House, St Pancras Hospital During the Period March 1993–April 1996. CICHST, London.Google Scholar
Childs, H. W., Hayslip, B., Radika, L. M. and Reinberg, J. A. 2000. Young and middle-aged adults' perceptions of elder abuse. The Gerontologist, 40, 1, 75–85.Google Scholar
Comijs, H., Pot, A., Smit, J., Bouter, L. and Jonker, C. 1998 a. Elder abuse in the community: prevalence and consequences. Journal of the American Society of Gerontology, 46, 7, 885–8.Google Scholar
Comijs, H., Smit, J., Pot, A., Bouter, L. and Jonker, C. 1998 b. Risk indicators of elder mistreatment in the community. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 9, 4, 67–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Commission for Health Improvement 2003. Investigation into Matters Arising From Care on Rowan Ward, Manchester Health and Social Care Trust. Commission for Health Improvement, London.Google Scholar
Commonwealth Office on the Status of Women (GOSW) 2000. Two Lives – Two Worlds: Older People and Domestic Violence. A Partnership Against Domestic Violence Project. GOSW, Canberra, Australia.Google Scholar
Council of Europe 1992. Violence Against Elderly People. Steering Committee on Social Policy, Council of Europe, Strasbourg.Google Scholar
Department of Health 2006. A New Ambition for Old Age. Department of Health, London.Google Scholar
Elder Abuse Prevention Project 2005. Strengthening Victoria's Response to Elder Abuse. Office of Senior Victorians, Government of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. Available online at http://www.dvc.vic.gov.au/web19/osv/dvcosv.nsf/headingpagesdisplay/elder+abuse+prevention [Accessed 27 April 2007].Google Scholar
Fehr, L., Galla, J., April, T. and Carr, C. 2004. Elder abuse: whose fault is it? National Social Science Journal, 22, 38–45.Google Scholar
Garner, J. and Evans, S. 2002. An ethical perspective on institutional abuse of older adults. Psychiatric Bulletin, 26, 166–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harbison, J. and Morrow, M. 1998. Re-examining the social construction of ‘elder abuse and neglect’: a Canadian perspective. Ageing & Society, 18, 6, 691–711.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Healthcare Commission 2006. Living Well in Later Life: A Review of Progress Against the National Service Framework for Older People. Healthcare Commission, London.Google Scholar
Help the Aged 2006. Abuse of older people overlooked in public focus on children and animals. Online news, Help the Aged, London. Available online at http://www.iwill.co.uk/news_story1.aspx [Accessed 2 June 2006].Google Scholar
Hirst, M. 2001. Trends in informal care in Great Britain during the 1990s. Health and Social Care in the Community, 9, 6, 348–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
House of Commons Health Select Committee 2004. Elder Abuse. Volume 1 and formal minutes, First report HC 111-I, Session 2003–04, House of Commons Health Select Committee, London. Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Hudson, M. and Carlson, J. 1994. Elder abuse: its meaning to middle-aged and older adults. Part I: Instrument development. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 6, 1, 29–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hudson, M., Beasley, C., Benedict, R., Carlson, J., Craig, B. and Mason, S. 1999. Elder abuse: some African-American views. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14, 9, 917–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA ) 2006. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Announcement. INPEA, Geneva, Switzerland. Available online at http://www.inpea.net [Accessed 27 April 2007].Google Scholar
McCallum, J. 1993. Elder abuse: the ‘new’ social problem. Modern Medicine of Australia, September, 74–83.Google Scholar
McCreadie, C., Bennett, G. and Tinker, A. 1998. General practitioners' knowledge and experience of the abuse of older people in the community: report of an exploratory research study in the inner-London borough of Tower Hamlets. British Journal of General Practice, 48, 435, 1687–8.Google ScholarPubMed
McCreadie, C., O'Keeffe, M., Manthorpe, J., Tinker, A., Doyle, M., Hills, A., Erens, B. and Biggs, S. 2006. First steps: the National Elder Abuse Study. Journal of Adult Protection, 8, 3, 4–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neikrug, S. 2003. Worrying about a frightening old age. Aging and Mental Health, 7, 5, 326–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nerenberg, L. 2002. A Feminist Perspective on Gender and Elder Abuse: A Review of the Literature. National Center for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Washington DC. Available online at http://www.elderabusecenter.org/pdf/publication/FinalGenderIssuesinElderAbuse [Accessed 27 April 2007].Google Scholar
Netten, A., Francis, J., Jones, K. and Bebbington, A. 2004. Performance and Quality: User Experiences of Home Care Services. PSSRU Discussion Paper 2104/3, Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent.Google Scholar
Office of Fair Trading 2005. Care Homes for Older People in the UK: A Market Study. Office of Fair Trading, London.Google Scholar
Ogg, J. and Bennett, G. 1992. Elder abuse in Britain. British Medical Journal, 305, 998–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Neill, D. 2002. Protecting our Future: Report of the Working Group on Elder Abuse. Government of Ireland, Government Publishers, Dublin. Available online at http://www.dohc.ie/publications/protecting_our_future.html [Accessed 27 April 2007].Google Scholar
Penhale, B. and Manthorpe, J. 2004. Older people, institutional abuse and inquiries. In Stanley, N. and Manthorpe, J. (eds) The Age of the Inquiry: Inquiries in Health and Social Care. Routledge, London, 257–72.Google Scholar
Pillemer, K. and Finkelhor, D. 1998. The prevalence of elder abuse: a random sample survey. The Gerontologist, 28, 1, 51–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Podnieks, E. 1990. National survey on abuse of the elderly in Canada. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 4, 1–2, 5–58.Google Scholar
Richardson, B., Kitchen, G. and Livingston, G. 2002. The effect of education on knowledge and management of elder abuse: a randomized controlled trial. Age and Ageing, 31, 335–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, M., Scott, D. A., Reeves, C., Bate, A., van Teijlingen, E. R., Russell, E. M., Napper, M. and Robb, C. M. 2001. Eliciting public preferences for healthcare: a systematic review of techniques. Health Technology Assessment, 5, 5, 1–184.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schiamberg, L. and Gans, D. 1999. An ecological framework for contextual risk factors in elder abuse by adult children. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 11, 1, 791–804.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siegel-Itzkovich, J. 2005. A fifth of elderly people in Israel are abused. British Medical Journal, 330, 498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swagerty, D., Takahashi, P. and Evans, P. 1999. Elder mistreatment. American Family Physician, 59, 10, 2804–8.Google ScholarPubMed
Wolf, R. 1997. Elder abuse and neglect: an update. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 7, 177–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolfe, D. 2003. Elder abuse intervention: lessons from child abuse and domestic violence. In Bonnie, R. and Wallace, R. (eds) Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation in an Aging America. National Academic Press, Washington DC, 501–26.Google Scholar