NCJ Number
145409
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (1991) Pages: 89-103
Date Published
1991
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This report identifies some of the factors that make some elderly persons more likely to refuse the help of professional service providers.
Abstract
This article reports the findings of a study that sought to identify factors that make a maltreated elderly person more likely to refuse services. For this study, 440 cases that were reported to the Wisconsin Elder Abuse Reporting System in 1986 were used. Cases involved physical and emotional abuse, neglect by others and material abuse. Three categories of factors were considered: predisposing, enabling and need factors. Predisposing factors included the age and sex of the victim and perpetrator's sex and relationship to the victim. The only enabling factor available to the researchers was the elder's living arrangement. Need factors included disabling characteristics of the elder, type of maltreatment and the caregiving status of the perpetrator. The study found that mothers who were maltreated by their sons were significantly less likely to accept services than either a mother or father who was abused by a daughter. This was especially true when the son was the primary caregiver. Victims who had some disabling characteristics were also more likely to reject service. This only applied to victims over the age of 75. Below that age, the victim's disabilities were not related to their acceptance or rejection of services. The report concluded that service providers must be aware of the impact perpetrators have on the decisions of the elderly. They also need to focus on the types of services that are being offered. 1 figure, 2 tables