NCJ Number
145108
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: (1992) Pages: 39-59
Date Published
1992
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Predictive factors in elder mistreatment by caregivers are identified.
Abstract
In-person interviews were conducted among 110 southern California caregivers aged 55 or over who care for a mentally or physically ill person at home. A causal model of personal and situational variables on abuse indicated that seven predictors accounted for 46 percent of the variance. Mood disturbance was the strongest predictor; the others were orientation toward an external locus of control, low level of social support, inadequate income, poor physical health, and two emotional coping strategies. The data help to draw a profile of the typical elder abuser/caregiver: a person shaped by the caregiving experience such that a belief in external control, and a lack of social supports and problemsolving skills lead to mood disturbance and irrational behavior, and, ultimately, mistreatment. Stress, actual or perceived, has less to do with mistreatment than do these factors. 3 tables, 2 figures, and 59 references