title: [Prevalence and factors associated with suspected mistreatment in a geriatric unit in a hospital emergency area].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To know the prevalence of mistreatment and to identify the associated factors among elderly people without cognitive impairment, seen in the geriatric unit, located in the hospital emergency area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of a population of 65 years or older assessed by the geriatric Interdisciplinary Social Welfare Functional Unit (ISSFU) of the emergency area in the Arnau de Vilanova hospital of Lleida. We excluded participants with cognitive impairment. The total number of participants was 127. The suspicion of mistreatment was measured using the Questionnaire of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Canadian Task Force (CTF). The variables studied were social demographic characteristics and functional dependency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of suspicion of mistreatment was 29.1% (95% CI: 0.21-0.37). The most frequent subtypes were neglect and psychological, and less frequent was negligence. Associated factors were being female, being in unpaid work, being a widow and living alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three out of ten elderly people were identified as possible victims of abuse. Due to the relative isolation of many of the elderly who were abused, an unexpected visit to the emergency area may be the only opportunity for detection. Geriatric units located in this area should include the suspicion of mistreatment of this population in their comprehensive assessment. For this, it is necessary to have tool with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity for detection of abuse in the elderly.
authors: Departamento de Enfermería, Facultat de Enfermería, Universidad de Lleida, Lleida, Spain. pilar.jurschik@infermeria.udl.es
authors: Pilar
authors: P
authors: Jürschik
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Viladrosa
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Botigué
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Lavedán
authors: Ana Belen
authors: AB
authors: Vena
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Noguera
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires