Development of a causal model for elder mistreatment.

Elder mistreatment (EM) is an act committed by a person in a trusted relationship with an elderly person. Through the process of theory synthesis, a new model was developed, which explains the development of aggression (physical and verbal) toward elders by adult children in EM. The proposed model is set within the context of intimate partner violence and emphasizes that rather than arising in caregiving, aggression may be evident in the pre-caregiving relationship and continue into caregiving situations.

Examining barriers to self-reporting of elder physical abuse in community-dwelling older adults.

One out of 10 older adults experiences elder abuse in their lifetime, though less than one third of these cases ever get reported. The purpose of this study was to describe older adults' perceptions of physical abuse (PA) as a type of elder abuse including reasons why they may or may not self-report. An author developed vignette scale was used to present three types of PA and three barriers to reporting for each of three living situations.