Abuse of older persons: an overview.
As demographics in the United States indicate that by 2050 older persons will constitute one-fourth of the population, statistics indicating abuse of older persons will also increase. As a serious social problem, nurses will need to assess and intervene with families where this type of family violence occurs. The types of abuse of older persons include physical, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse; neglect, self-neglect; and other types such as violation of rights, denial of privacy, and denial of participation in decision making. This article examines types of abuse, who is at risk, identifying characteristics of abusers, and nursing assessment and nursing interventions related to abuse of older persons.
Division of Nursing and Health Sciences, Neumann College, Aston, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Wieland
D000368:Aged; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000639:trends*; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010808:Physical Examination; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States