Abuse and its consequences in older adults
Keywords:
abuse, older adult, consequences, caregiver burnoutAbstract
Introduction: Abuse against the elderly is as old as humanity itself, thus it has a long history and has been reflected in universal literature. Its discussion in medical literature began in 1975 when the British Medical Journal in England published several testimonies from doctors and nurses caring for elderly women victimized by their relatives.
Objectives: To summarize the essential elements regarding abuse and its consequences in older adults.
Methods: A review of articles published in the databases PubMed, MEDLINE, SciELO, Scopus, Lilacs, and BVS was conducted on abuse in older adults and its consequences. The selection criteria included: systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical trials, clinical practice guidelines, and literature reviews.
Development: Abuse is any action or omission that, by its nature and/or significance, in a specific sociocultural context, causes harm to the psychological, spiritual, social, and/or biological health of the elderly person, as well as undermining their material and/or economic well-being. It involves a loss of human rights and quality of life. It is recognized that abuse constitutes a violation of the human rights of the abused person, as well as affecting their quality of life.
Conclusions: Abuse occurs in any social context. It cannot be accepted that domestic violence is a private matter. An abused elderly person often experiences more than one type of abuse. As long as there is an elderly person who is a victim of abuse, appropriate strategies must be implemented.
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