Distressing Aspects of Elder Abuse Victimization: Perspective of Survivors

• NCJ Number: 310247
• Journal: Clinical Gerontologist Dated: Dec 2024
• Author(s): David Burnes; Andie MacNeil; et al
• Date Published: December 2024
• Grant Number(s): 2017-VF-GX-0002
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: Developing a Taxonomy To Understand and Measure Outcomes of Success in Community-Based Elder Mistreatment Interventions

Annotation

This paper reports on the research methodology and findings from a study that aimed to understand the most distressing aspects of elder abuse victimization from the survivors’ perspective.

Abstract

Understanding of elder abuse (EA) phenomena has largely been shaped from the perspective of researchers and professionals whose conceptualizations often differ from the perceptions of older adults who experience mistreatment. This study sought to understand the most distressing aspects of EA victimization from the perspective of survivors. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, individual interviews were conducted with a diverse sample (n = 32) of EA survivors, recruited from EA support and Adult Protective Services programs in New York City and Los Angeles. Analysis followed a constant comparison process involving two independent coders to understand distressing aspects of EA victimization. The following themes emerged as the most distressing aspects of EA victimization: fear, disbelief, disrespect, concern for perpetrator and other family members, feelings of loss, and incongruity between survivor wishes and systemic responses. Distressing aspects of EA victimization spanned personal, relational, and systemic levels of ecological influence. Findings from this study advance basic knowledge on EA phenomena and carry direct implications for programs designed to support and meet the needs of survivors. Findings identify particularly distressing psycho-emotional aspects of EA victimization for clinicians interacting with survivors that can serve as targets of intervention. (Published Abstract Provided)