SUMMARY
Elder abuse belongs to the group of geriatric social syndromes, it is a form of ageism, age discrimination against the elderly. The World Health Organization defines violence as "any single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring in any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person."
The prevalence of elder abuse in people living in the community is 15.7 %, which means that about one in six seniors living at home has experienced some form of violence during the previous year. During the previous year, 64.2 % of staff in institutions for the elderly admitted to elder abuse.
Any form of elder abuse is closely linked to the loss of respect and esteem for the elderly in society. We recognize five basic forms of violence against the elderly: physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse and neglect. Elder abuse and neglect in institutional care is a separate and serious problem. Institutional care, especially long-term care, is considered high risk for all forms of violence.
Diagnosis of alder abuse is a very sensitive issue. Addressing elder abuse and neglect is a complex issue and a task for a multidisciplinary team. In the event of an imminent threat, immediate interruption of contact is necessary, which often requires hospitalization in a medical facility for social indications.
Prevention of elder abuse and neglect is individual, family and society-wide, it is oriented to all levels of society.
Key words: seniors, elder abuse and neglect, violence against seniors, forms and diagnosis of abuse, geriatric social syndrome.
Lek Obz, 2022, 71 (2): 81-87
Ivan BARTOŠOVIČ 1, Katarína ZRUBÁKOVÁ 2, Róbert OCHABA 3, Peter MIKUS 4
1 Vysoká škola zdravotníctva a sociálnej práce sv. Alžbety, Bratislava, Ústav zdravotníckych disciplín, vedúci prof. PhDr. R. Babeľa, PhD.
2 Fakulta zdravotníctva, Katolícka univerzita, Ružomberok, Katedra ošetrovateľstva, vedúca PhDr. M. Ižová PhD.
3 Fakulta zdravotníctva a sociálnej práce, Trnavská univerzita, Trnava, Katedra verejného zdravotníctva, vedúca doc. Ing. M. Kačmaríková, PhD., MPH
4 Lekárska fakulta, Slovenská zdravotnícka univerzita, Bratislava, Klinika geriatrie, prednosta MUDr. P. Mikus, PhD.
CITE:
BARTOŠOVIČ I., ZRUBÁKOVÁ K., OCHABA R., MIKUS P.: Elder abuse and neglect. Lek Obz, 2022, 71 (2): 81-87
