older victims perceive abuse differently depending on the expected acceptability of the type(s) of abuse experienced and the anticipated stigma associated with the perpetrator involved. The effects and chosen coping strategies are influenced by these considerations and therewith also influence their help-seeking behaviour. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to use these findings in practice to prevent, detect and intervene in elder abuse.

AbstractFor a long time researchers have used photography for different purposes, in different ways and with different focus. Photovoice is a qualitative visual research method that refers to photographs taken by the participants themselves. It has been used with different age groups and populations. The use of photovoice in older populations requires its own study of approaches, techniques and challenges. In this article, we review existing studies using photovoice with older participants specifically, to consider its potential as a qualitative research method in the field of gerontology. We discuss advantages and limitations of the method in gerontological research and provide guidelines for future studies. Our results show that photovoice has been used to study a wide range of topics in older people, from health issues and the impact of environment on health and wellbeing, to leisure experiences of groups living with HIV/AIDS. Using photovoice helps researchers to capture live experiences and perceptions of older persons and conduct engaging, involving and empowering research facilitating interaction, reflection and connection of participants. However, conducting photovoice studies can be practically challenging, such as when addressing special needs of the participants, or ethical and other feasibility issues. To conclude, photovoice has great potential for being used in gerontological research, it can be altered to fit specific goals, divergent issues studied and different research contexts.

a b s t r a c tElder abuse has devastating consequences for older persons such as a poor quality of life, psychological distress, and loss of property and security. It is also associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Elder abuse is a problem that manifests itself in both rich and poor countries and at all levels of society. It is timely to discuss one of the basic problems that has hampered the study, detection and intervention of elder abuse as the variety of definitions that exist now produce a definitional chaos for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.In this article we trace the elements of "how to define elder abuse" and situate them in their socio-historical context. We also analyze the purposes of these different definitions to assess their appropriateness in different settings concerned with elder abuse. Our analysis shows that elder abuse mirrors the societal arrangements which gave rise to them. It also highlights that it is a complex problem that is difficult to define. The central question is whether we need a common definition of elder abuse or different definitions that can be used in different settings. By evidence of our analysis we can see that there is a need for a sufficiently broad and flexible definition in order to cover different behaviors that can constitute abuse and the various settings in which it may occur. On the other hand, the definition needs to be specific and concrete to be useful in professional contexts.To take a further step forward for both research and practice of elder abuse, we propose to consistently adhere to the WHO definition that leads the enquirer towards a better understanding of the problem and helps to distinguish it from other phenomena; and to a simplified definition for professional practice that sets boundaries to the phenomena and is appropriate for effective prevention and intervention measures.

In this article we explore older persons' definitions of and explanations for elder abuse in the Netherlands by means of interviews with older persons. A qualitative study was conducted based on semistructured interviews with 35 older persons who had no experience with abuse. Our findings show that older persons participating in our study define elder abuse foremost as physical violence that is performed intentionally. The study participants explain elder abuse as a result of the dependency and vulnerability of older persons, of changing norms and values, and of changes in the position of older persons in society, which result in disrespect toward older persons and a lack of social control and responsibility. The older persons' explanations for the occurrence of abuse mainly focus on societal changes; older persons seem to regard elder abuse primarily as a societal problem. This understanding of, and explanation for, elder abuse may influence their detection and reporting behavior, as they may tend to acknowledge only severe cases of intentional physical violence that leave clear and therefore physically detectable evidence.