Risk factors of elder abuse in a community dwelling Spanish sample

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2009 Jul-Aug;49(1):17-21. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2008.04.005. Epub 2008 Jun 4.

Abstract

We analyzed the discriminative capacity of several risk factors for elder abuse and neglect, in order to identify what characteristics distinguish between caregivers with a high or low risk of abuse and neglect. Forty-five caregivers of relatives with dementia participated. The combination of caregiving impact, frequency of aggressive behaviors by care-recipients, stress related to provocative and aggressive behaviors, the frequency of provocative behaviors, interpersonal burden, autoefficiency expectations, quantity of help received and depression classify correctly as risk factors in 90.9% of the cases. This study permits us to identify what characteristics distinguish between caregivers with a high or low risk of abuse and neglect and caregivers.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aggression / psychology
  • Caregivers
  • Community Health Services
  • Cost of Illness
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / diagnosis
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / epidemiology
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / psychology
  • Elder Abuse / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Risk Factors
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Surveys and Questionnaires