Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T18:50:04.324Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Abuse of people with dementia

Part of: Bespoke shallow archive Weizmann

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 August 2009

Amber Selwood  and
Claudia Cooper
Amber Selwood*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, UCL, London
Claudia Cooper
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, UCL, London
*
Address for correspondence: Amber Selwood, Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, Holborn Union Building, Archway Campus, Highgate Hill, London N19 5LW. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

People with dementia are particularly vulnerable to abuse. It is inherently difficult to study as it is a hidden offence, perpetrated against vulnerable people with memory impairment, by those on whom they depend. In the general population, 6% of older people have experienced abuse in the last month and this rises to approximately 25% in vulnerable populations such as people with dementia. We know that various factors in the carer and the care recipient can predispose to a higher rate of abuse and this knowledge can be harnessed to try and improve prevention. There are also valid and reliable scales available to help detect abuse in vulnerable older adults. All health and social care professionals have a responsibility to act on any suspicion or evidence of significant abuse or neglect in order to ensure that appropriate management is taken.

Keywords

Elder abusedementiacarer
Type
Neuropsychiatry of old age
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , February 2009 , pp. 35 - 43
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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

1Cooper, C, Katona, C, Finne-Soveri, H, Topinkova, E, Carpenter, GI, Livingston, G. Indicators of elder abuse: A crossnational comparison of psychiatric morbidity and other determinants in the Ad-HOC study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2006; 14: 489–97.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Cooper, C, Selwood, A, Livingston, G. The prevalence of elder abuse and neglect: a systematic review. Age Ageing 2008; 37: 151–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Cooper, C, Selwood, A, Blanchard, M, Walker, Z, Blizard, R, Livingston, G. Abuse of people with dementia by family carers: representative cross sectional survey. BMJ 2009; 338: b155.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Nelson, D. Violence against elderly people: a neglected problem. Lancet 2002; 360: 1094.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Department of Health. ‘No Secrets’ Guidance on developing and implementing multiagency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse. London, Department of Health, 2000.Google Scholar
6House Of Commons Health Committee (2004) ‘Elder Abuse – Second Report: Session 2003–2004’. In Health Committee, H.O.C. (ed.), 1st edn. London, The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
7Selwood, A, Cooper, C, Livingston, G. What is elder abuse – who decides? Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2007; 22: 1009–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Pillemer, K., Finkelhor, D.The Prevalence of Elder Abuse – A Random Sample Survey. Gerontologist 1988; 28: 51–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Beach, S, Schulz, R, Williamson, G, Miller, L, Weiner, M, Lance, C. Risk factors for potentially harmful informal caregiver behavior. J Am Geriatr Soc 2005; 53: 255–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Cooper, C, Manela, M, Katona, C, Livingston, G. Screening for elder abuse in dementia in the LASER-AD study: prevalence, correlates and validation of instruments. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2008; 23: 283–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11Cooper, C, Maxmin, K, Selwood, A, Blanchard, M, Livingston, G. The sensitivity and specificity of the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale for detecting clinically significant elder abuse. Int Psychogeriatr 2009 (epub 04 Jun 2009; doi:10.1017/S1041610209009387).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Morris, JN, Fries, BE, Steel, K, Ikegami, N, Bernabei, R, Carpenter, GI et al. Comprehensive clinical assessment in community setting: applicability of the MDS-HC. J Am Geriatr Soc 1997; 45: 1017–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Oh, J, Kim, HS, Martins, D, Kim, H. A study of elder abuse in Korea. Int J Nurs Stud 2006; 43: 203–14CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Harris, S. For better or worse: spouse abuse grown old. J Elder Abuse Negl 1996; 8: 1–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Wang, JJ, Lin, JN, Lee, FP. Psychologically Abusive Behavior by Those Caring for the Elderly in a Domestic Context. Geriatr Nurs 2006; 27: 284–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Shugarman, LR, Fries, BE, Wolf, RS, Morris, JN. Identifying older people at risk of abuse during routine screening practices. J Am Geriatr Soc 2003; 51: 24–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Paveza, GJ, Cohen, D, Eisdorfer, C, Freels, S, Semla, T, Ashford, JW et al. : Severe Family Violence and Alzheimers Disease – Prevalence and Risk-Factors. Gerontologist 1992; 32: 493–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Compton, SA, Flanagan, P, Gregg, W: Elder abuse in people with dementia in Northern Ireland: prevalence and predictors in cases referred to a psychiatry of old age service. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 1997; 12: 632–5.3.0.CO;2-9>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Pot, AM, van Dyck, R, Jonker, C, Deeg, DJH. Verbal and physical aggression against demented elderly by informal caregivers in the Netherlands. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 1996; V31: 156–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Cooney, C, Howard, R, Lawlor, B: Abuse of vulnerable people with dementia by their carers: can we identify those most at risk? Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2006; 21: 564–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21Homer, AC, Gilleard, C. Abuse of Elderly People by Their Carers. BMJ 1990; 301: 1359–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Cooney, C, Mortimer, A. Elder abuse and dementia – A pilot study. Int J Soc Psychiatry 1995; 41: 276–83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Wang, JJ. Psychological abuse behavior exhibited by caregivers in the care of the elderly and correlated factors in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. J Nurs Res 2005; 13: 271–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24Pillemer, K, Moore, DW. Abuse of Patients in Nursing-Homes – Findings from A Survey of Staff. Gerontologist 1989; 29: 314–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25Goergen, T. Stress, conflict, elder abuse and neglect in German nursing homes: A pilot study among professional caregivers. J Elder Abuse Negl 2001; 13: 1–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26Jogerst, GJ, Daly, JM, Dawson, JD, Peek-Asa, C, Schmuch, G. Iowa nursing home characteristics associated with reported abuse. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2006; 7: 203–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27National Center on Elder Abuse. The 2004 Survey of State Adult Protective Services: Abuse of Adults 60 years of Age and Older. Washington DC, National Center on Elder Abuse, 2006.Google Scholar
28Coyne, AC, Reichman, WE, Berbig, LJ. The Relationship Between Dementia and Elder Abuse. Am J Psychiatry 1993; 150: 643–6.Google ScholarPubMed
29Pillemer, K, Suitor, JJ. Violence and Violent Feelings – What Causes Them Among Family Caregivers. J Gerontology 1992; 47: S165–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Podkieks, E. National survey on abuse of the elderly in Canada. J Elder Abuse Negl 1992; 4: 5–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31Chokkanathan, S, Lee, AEY. Elder Mistreatment in Urban India: A Community Based Study. J Elder Abuse Negl 2005; 17: 45–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32Lachs, MS, Williams, C, O'Brien, S, Hurst, L, Horwitz, R. Older adults – An 11-year longitudinal study of adult protective service use. Arch Int Med 1996; 156: 449–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33Royal College of Psychiatrists. Institutional abuse of older adults. Council Report CR84. London, Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2000.Google Scholar
34Kitchen, G, Richardson, B, Livingston, G. Are nurses equipped to manage actual or suspected elder abuse? Professional Nurse 2002; 17: 647–50.Google ScholarPubMed
35Commission for Health Improvement. Investigation into matters arising from care on Rowan Ward, Manchester Mental Health & Social Care Trust. London, The Stationery Office, 2003.Google Scholar
36Camden and Islington NHS Trust (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. London, Camden and Islington NHS Trust, 1999.Google Scholar
37Fulmer, T, Paveza, G, Abraham, I, Fairchild, S. Elder neglect assessment in the emergency department. J Emerg Nurs 2008; 26: 437–43.Google Scholar
38Richardson, B, Kitchen, G, Livingston, G. The effect of education on knowledge and management of elder abuse: a randomized controlled trial. Age Ageing 2002; 31: 335–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39Department of Health. Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) scheme in England and Wales for care homes and domiciliary care agencies: a practical guide. London, Department of Health, 2004Google Scholar
40Cooper, C, Livingston, G. Elder abuse: a guide to protection and management. BMJ learning module. BMJ 2009 (in press).Google Scholar
41Cooper, C, Selwood, A, Livingston, G (2009) Knowledge, detection and reporting of abuse by health and social care professionals: a systematic review. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2009 (in press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
42Ballard, C, Hanney, ML, Theodoulou, M, Douglas, S, McShane, R, Kossakowski, K et al. The dementia antipsychotic withdrawal trial (DART-AD): long-term follow-up of a randomised placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet Neurology 2009; 8: 151–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
43Department of Health. National Service Framework for Older People. London, Department of Health, 2001.Google Scholar
44Selwood, A, Cooper, C, Owens, C, Blanchard, M, Livingston, G. What would help me stop abusing? The family carer's perspective. Int Psychogeriatr 2009; 21: 309–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed