Abuse of Marginalized Older Adults During COVID-19

Abstract

Abstract. Child and spousal abuse rates tend to increase during various disasters. This study sought to determine the prevalence and determinants of older adults’ experiences of increased verbal or physical conflict (+VPC) as a proxy for elder abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data stem from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a prospective cohort study of 51,338 Canadians aged 45–85 at baseline. We analyzed the data of participants aged 55 or older at core follow-up 1 who also participated in a CLSA COVID-19 substudy ( n = 24,306). Experiencing +VPC was the main outcome variable; explanatory variables included gender identity, sexual orientation, age group, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, marital status, household income, working status, living arrangement (alone vs. with others), social support availability, cohesion in the community, self-rated health, anxiety, depression, and previous history of elder abuse. The overall weighted prevalence of +VPC was 7.4%. Gay/bisexual men, 55–64 age group, living with others, low social support, poor social cohesion, low self-rated health, poor mental health, and history of psychological or physical abuse were each significantly associated with +VPC. Weighted multivariable logistic regression revealed that male gender, living with others, higher depression and anxiety scores, and a history of psychological abuse were independent predictors of +VPC. Implications for postpandemic recovery and prevention strategies during future disasters include targeted outreach programs for the most vulnerable group, which included males and younger older adults between 55 and 64 years as well as those with mental health issues and/or history of elder psychological abuse.

What Do We Know about an Invisible Issue? Results of a Scoping Review of Elder Abuse and Gender and Sexual Minorities

“…In total 21 records utilized primary data, of these five were out of our date range. As such, only 16 records were found from the past decade that collected and reported on primary data [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]. Other records often utilized secondary reporting or reported on methodology of studies rather than the findings regarding GSM elder abuse.…”

“…The forms of abuse experienced by GSM older adults include physical harm [27,28,41,42]; psychological abuse [27,28,41]; neglect [25,27,43]; including self-neglect [44]; and fear of neglect if sexuality disclosed [35]. Financial abuse was also found [27,45,46]; and sexual abuse was included in several studies [27,47,48].…”

“…The rationale for the variations differs, ranging from unique life course experiences, gender differences, generational gaps, and self-identification among other reasons. For example, Gutman et al [28] argue that the unique trauma associated with the aging process of trans persons requires setting a lower cut-off age like 55+. Similarly, Butler [54], in her book chapter on LGBTQ older adults, substantiated that a history of discrimination, criminalization, and stigma has limited researchers' access to older LGBTQ research participants.…”

Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults

“…As a result, perhaps the most vulnerable elders did not have internet access (Chang & Levy, 2021). Note the evaluation of abuse related to the Covid-19 pandemic as captured in the prospective large Canadian Study on Aging by Gutman et al (2023) in this current edition.…”

Older people's experiences of elder abuse in residential care settings: A scoping review

“…Within the UK Care Act, the term ‘perpetrator’ has been replaced with ‘sources of harm’ to describe those responsible. Elder abuse can have multiple sources of harm, including trusted family members, family caregivers, healthcare providers, fellow residents, strangers and institutions (Ballentine, 2023). Hirt et al.…”