Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T18:48:27.216Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Multicultural voices: attitudes of older adults in the United States of America about elder mistreatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 December 2012

SUSAN M. ENGUIDANOS ,
MARGUERITE DELIEMA ,
IRIS AGUILAR ,
JORGE LAMBRINOS  and
KATHLEEN H. WILBER
SUSAN M. ENGUIDANOS
Affiliation:
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
MARGUERITE DELIEMA*
Affiliation:
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
IRIS AGUILAR
Affiliation:
School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
JORGE LAMBRINOS
Affiliation:
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
KATHLEEN H. WILBER
Affiliation:
Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
*
Address for correspondence: Marguerite DeLiema, Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Ave, Gero 228-B, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191, USA. E-mail: riparett@usc.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Despite international growth in policies to increase the identification and response to elder abuse and neglect, there remain considerable barriers to treating the problem. Some of these barriers may be attributed to how older adults from different racial/ethnic backgrounds define, experience and seek to remedy elder mistreatment. Using focus group discussions based on case vignettes, this paper examines how older adults from different racial and ethnic backgrounds in the United States of America perceive elder mistreatment. Five focus groups were conducted with African Americans, English-speaking Latinos, Spanish-speaking Latinos, non-Latino Whites and African American care-givers for older adults. While similar definitions and meanings of elder abuse were expressed across the different racial/ethnic groups, Latino participants introduced additional themes of machismo, respect, love and early intervention to stop abuse, suggesting that perceptions/beliefs about elder mistreatment are determined by culture and degree of acculturation in addition to race/ethnicity. Most differences in attitudes occurred within groups, demonstrating that perceptions vary by individual as well as by culture. In identifying scenarios that constitute elder mistreatment, some participants felt that certain cases of abuse are actually the persistence of intimate partner violence into old age. Participants also indicated that victims may prefer to tolerate mistreatment in exchange for other perceived benefits (e.g. companionship, security); and out of fear that they could be placed in an institution if mistreatment is reported. Findings suggest the need for person-centred intervention and prevention models that integrate the cultural background, care needs and individual preferences of older adults.

Keywords

elder abuseneglectethnicitycultureacculturationprotective servicesLatinosperson-centred intervention
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 34 , Issue 5 , May 2014 , pp. 877 - 903
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acierno, R., Hernandez, M. A., Amstader, A. B., Resnick, H. S., Steve, K., Muzzy, W. and Kilpatrick, D. G. 2010. Prevalence and correlates of emotional, physical, sexual, and financial abuse and potential neglect in the United States: the national elder mistreatment study. American Journal of Public Health, 100, 2, 292–7.Google Scholar
Action on Elder Abuse 1995. What is Elder Abuse? Available online at http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/abuse.html [Accessed 25 August 2012].Google Scholar
Anetzberger, G., Korbin, J. E. and Tomita, S. K. 1996. Defining elder mistreatment in four ethnic groups across two generations. Journal of Cross-cultural Gerontology, 11, 2, 187–212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ayalon, L. 2011. Abuse is in the eyes of the beholder: using multiple perspectives to evaluate elder mistreatment under round-the-clock foreign home carers in Israel. Ageing & Society, 31, 3, 499–520.Google Scholar
Benton, D. M. 1999. African Americans and elder mistreatment: targeting information for a high-risk population. In Tatara, T. (ed.), Understanding Elder Abuse in Minority Populations. Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 49–64.Google Scholar
Bonnie, R. J. and Wallace, R. B. 2003. Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America: National Research Council (U.S.) Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect. National Academies Press, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Bowes, A., Avan, G. and Macintosh, S. B. 2008. They Put Up with It – What Else Can They Do? Mistreatment of Black and Minority Ethnic Older People and the Service Response. Age Concern Scotland, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Bronfenbrenner, U. 1979. The Ecology of Human Development. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
Cardona, J. R. P., Meyer, E., Schiamberg, L. and Post, L. 2007. Elder abuse and neglect in Latino families: an ecological and culturally relevant theoretical framework for clinical practice. Family Process, 46, 4, 451–70.Google Scholar
Childs, H. W., Hayslip, B., Radika, L. M. and Reinberg, J. A. 2000. Young and middle-aged adults' perceptions of elder abuse. The Gerontologist, 40, 1, 75–85.Google Scholar
Comijs, H. C., Penninx, R. W. J. H., Knipscheer, K. P. M. and van Tilburg, W. 1999. Psychological distress in victims of elder mistreatment: the effects of social support and coping. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 54B, 4, 240–5.Google Scholar
Connolly, M. T. 2010. Where elder abuse and the justice system collide: police power, parens patriae, and 12 recommendations. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 22, 1/2, 37–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dakin, E. and Pearlmutter, S. 2009. Older women's perceptions of elder maltreatment and ethical dilemmas in adult protective services: a cross-cultural, exploratory study. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 21, 1, 15–57.Google Scholar
Daskalopoulos, M. D., Kakouros, A. and Stathopoulou, G. 2006. Perspectives on elder abuse in Greece. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 18, 2/3, 87–104.Google Scholar
Daskalopoulos, M. D., Mullin, A. S. J., Donovan, E. and Suzuki, H. 2006. English perceptions of elder abuse. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 18, 2/3, 33–50.Google Scholar
DeLiema, M., Gassoumis, Z. D., Homeier, D. C. and Wilber, K. H. 2012. Determining prevalence and correlates of elder abuse using promotores: low income immigrant Latinos report high rates of abuse and neglect. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 60, 7, 1333–9.Google Scholar
Dixon, J., Manthorpe, J., Biggs, S., Mowlam, A., Tennant, R., Tinker, A. and McCreadie, C. 2010. Defining elder mistreatment: reflections on the United Kingdom Study of Abuse and Neglect of Older People. Ageing & Society, 30, 3, 403–20.Google Scholar
Dowd, J. 1975. Aging as exchange: a preface to theory. Journal of Gerontology, 30, 5, 584–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fulmer, T., Paveza, G., VandeWeerd, C., Fairchild, S., Guadagno, L., Bolton-Blatt, M. and Norman, R. 2005. Dyadic vulnerability and risk profiling for elder neglect. The Gerontologist, 45, 4, 525–34.Google Scholar
Glaser, B. G. and Strauss, A. L. 1967. The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, New Jersey.Google Scholar
Hagan, J., Shedd, C. and Payne, M. R. 2005. Race, ethnicity, and youth perceptions of criminal injustice. American Sociological Review, 70, 3, 381–407.Google Scholar
Jasinski, J. L. 1998. The role of acculturation in wife assault. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 20, 2, 175–91.Google Scholar
Kim, G., Worley, C. B., Allen, R. S., Vinson, L., Crowther, M. R., Parmelee, P. and Chiriboga, D. A. 2011. Vulnerability of Latino and Asian immigrant elders with limited English proficiency. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 59, 7, 1246–52.Google Scholar
König, J. and Leembruggen-Kallberg, E. 2006. Perspectives on elder abuse in Germany. Educational Gerontology, 32, 1, 25–35.Google Scholar
Lachs, M. S., Williams, C. S., O'Brien, S. and Pillemer, K. A. 2002. Adult protective service use and nursing home placement. The Gerontologist, 42, 6, 734–9.Google Scholar
Lurigio, A. J., Greenleaf, R. G. and Flexon, J. 2009. The effects of race on relationships with the police: a survey of African American and Latino youths in Chicago. Western Criminology Review, 10, 1, 29–41.Google Scholar
Manthorpe, J. and Bowes, A. 2010. Age, ethnicity and equalities: synthesising policy and practice messages from two recent studies of elder abuse in the UK. Social Policy and Society, 9, 2, 255–65.Google Scholar
Matsuda, O. 2007. An assessment of the attitudes of potential caregivers toward the abuse of elderly persons with and without dementia. International Psychogeriatrics, 19, 5, 892–901.Google Scholar
Montoya, V. 1997. Understanding and combating elder abuse in Hispanic communities. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 9, 2, 5–16.Google Scholar
Moon, A. 2000. Perceptions of elder abuse among various cultural groups: similarities and differences. Generations, 24, 2, 75–80.Google Scholar
Moon, A. and Benton, D. 2000. Tolerance of elder abuse and attitudes toward third-party intervention: are there differences among African American, Korean American, and Caucasian elders? Journal of Multicultural Social Work, 8, 3-4, 283–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moon, A. and Williams, O. 1993. Perceptions of elder abuse and help-seeking patterns among African-American, Caucasian American, and Korean-American elderly women. The Gerontologist, 33, 3, 386–95.Google Scholar
Mouton, C. P., Larme, A. C., Alford, C. L., Talamantes, M. A., McCorkle, R. J. and Burge, S. K. 2005. Multiethnic perspectives on elder mistreatment. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 17, 2, 21–44.Google Scholar
National Research Council 2003. Elder mistreatment: abuse, neglect and exploitation in an aging America. Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect. The National Academies Press, Washington DC.Google Scholar
Payne, B. K., Berg, B. L. and Toussaint, J. 2001. The police response to the criminalization of elder abuse: an exploratory study. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 24, 4, 605–26.Google Scholar
Penhale, B. 2003. Older women, domestic violence, and elder abuse: a review of commonalities, differences, and shared approaches. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 15, 3/4, 163–83.Google Scholar
Perilla, J. L. 2000. Domestic violence as a human rights issue: the case of immigrant Latinos. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 21, 2, 107–33.Google Scholar
Perilla, J. L., Bakeman, R. and Norris, F. H. 1994. Culture and domestic violence: the ecology of abused Latinas. Violence and Victims, 9, 4, 325–39.Google Scholar
Pillemer, K. A. and Finkelhor, D. 1988. The prevalence of elder abuse: a random sample survey. The Gerontologist, 28, 1, 51–7.Google Scholar
Quinn, M. J. and Heisler, C. J. 2004. The legal response to elder abuse and neglect. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 14, 1, 61–77.Google Scholar
Rittman, M., Kuzmeskys, L. B. and Flum, M. A. 1999. A synthesis of current knowledge on minority elder abuse. In Tatara, T. (ed.), Understanding Elder Abuse in Minority Populations. Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 221–42.Google Scholar
Sanchez, Y. M. 1999. Elder mistreatment in Mexican American communities: the Nevada and Michigan experiences. In Tatara, T. (ed.), Understanding Elder Abuse in Minority Populations. Taylor & Francis, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 67–77.Google Scholar
Selwood, A., Cooper, C. and Livingston, G. 2007. What is elder abuse? Who decides? International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22, 10, 1009–12.Google Scholar
Stockdale, M. S. 2002. Analyzing focus group data with spreadsheets. American Journal of Health Studies, 18, 1, 55–60.Google Scholar
Strauss, A. 1987. Qualitative Analysis for Social Scientists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Tatara, T. 1999. Understanding Abuse in Minority Populations. Taylor & Francis, Ann Arbor, Michigan.Google Scholar
Vasquez, C. and Rosa, D. 1999. An understanding of abuse in the Hispanic older person: assessment, treatment, and prevention. Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless, 8, 3, 193–206.Google Scholar
Vladeck, B. C. and Westphal, E. 2012. Dignity-driven decision making: a compelling strategy for improving care for people with advanced illness. Health Affairs, 31, 6, 1269–76.Google Scholar
Walsh, C. A., Ploeg, J., Lohfeld, L., MacMillan, H. and Lai, D. 2007. Violence across the lifespan: interconnections among forms of abuse as described by marginalized Canadian elders and their care-givers. British Journal of Social Work, 37, 3, 491–514.Google Scholar
Wilber, K. H. and McNeilly, D. P. 2001. Elder abuse and victimization. In Birren, J. E. and Schaie, K. W. (eds), Handbook of the Psychology of Aging. Fifth edition, Academic Press, San Diego, California, 569–91.Google Scholar
World Health Organisation (WHO) 2008. A Global Response to Elder Abuse and Neglect: Building Primary Health Care Capacity to Deal with the Problem Worldwide. WHO, Geneva.Google Scholar
World Health Organisation/International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (WHO/INPEA) 2002. Missing Voices: Views of Older Persons on Elder Abuse. WHO/INPEA, Geneva.Google Scholar