Elder Abuse in Older Adults With Dementia: Protective Factors and Adverse Effects

Abstract

With the rapid increase in the aging population, more attention has been paid to studying older adults with dementia. Despite the fact that older adults with dementia are more likely to be abused compared to their cognitively intact counterparts, little attention has been paid to abuse within this population. This systematic review, conducted using the PRISMA model, aims to critically examine, evaluate, and synthesize literature on protective factors and adverse effects of elder abuse by informal caregivers among individuals with dementia. A search was undertaken using the Ageline, Medline, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases for peer-reviewed articles published in English up to June 2023. A total of 291 articles were identified by the systematic search, and 8 articles were included in the review. The results showed that protective factors related to elder abuse are mainly examined at a perpetrator level, including caregiver-related, relational, and contextual factors. Adverse effects, specifically an increased risk of various medical conditions and poor medication adherence, were identified but less frequently discussed. The findings indicated future directions for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to better serve older adults with dementia and their caregivers.