Institutional Abuse of Older Adults: What We Know, What We Need to Know

• NCJ Number: 239367
• Journal: Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 24 Issue: 2 Dated: April - June 2012 Pages: 138-160
• Author(s): Lynn McDonald, Ph.D.; Marie Beaulieu, Ph.D.; Joan Harbison, Ph.D., R.S.W.; Sandra Hirst, Ph.D.; Ariella Lowenstein, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Podnieks, B.S.N., Ed.D.; Judith Wahl, B.A., L.L.B.
• Date Published: April 2012
• Length: 23 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined institutional abuse of the elderly.

Abstract

Although Canadian policies support "aging in place," there still will be a number of older adults who will require institutional care in the future. Most research on elder abuse, however, has focused on domestic abuse and has paid less attention to institutional abuse. The purpose of this article is to comprehensively review current research to identify gaps in knowledge and methodological issues in the study of institutional abuse. Overall, 49 studies in English and 20 studies in French were reviewed, and 11 key-informant interviews were conducted with methodological experts. Methodological challenges are addressed in light of the review and interviews. (Published Abstract)