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Article
Publication date: 29 November 2013

Attracta Lafferty, Margaret Pearl Treacy and Gerard Fealy

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the support experiences of older people who have been abused in Ireland.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the support experiences of older people who have been abused in Ireland.

Design/methodology/approach

Recruited through dedicated elder abuse services, nine older people who had experienced elder abuse participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis.

Findings

The study highlighted the help-seeking pathways of abused older people and revealed that few older people sought help for themselves and most were unaware of the services available to support and protect older people. Data analysis identified the range and type of help received from family, friends, voluntary and statutory services, as well as the perceived barriers to accessing help and support.

Research limitations/implications

The research did not include abused older people who lacked mental capacity or who had experienced self-neglect, criminal victimisation by strangers or who had not received statutory support services. This field may benefit from future research that seeks to examine the support experiences of these groups.

Practical implications

Family, staff and professionals who care for older people need to be cognisant of the signs of elder abuse, and bring them to the attention of older people should they have concerns, as older people may not always recognise that they are being abused.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to our understanding of the support needs of older people in Ireland and the perceived barriers to accessing help and support.

Details

The Journal of Adult Protection, vol. 15 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1466-8203

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