Elder abuse and neglect: making the diagnosis and devising a treatment plan in the emergency department.

The prevalence of elder abuse and neglect is trending upward among American seniors, but physician reports of suspected maltreatment are not keeping pace. The most important step in management of elder abuse and neglect is making the diagnosis and reporting the suspicions to Adult Protective Services. This review presents a systematic approach for emergency department diagnosis of elder abuse and neglect, including a thorough history and physical examination combined with the use of standardized validated screening tools. To better assess and treat victims of suspected abuse, physicians can also employ a multidisciplinary team or recruit available resources in the hospital and the community, such as case managers, social workers, and primary care providers to create safety plans for at-risk elders.

Effects of changing criteria on improving interRAI assessment for elder abuse: analysis of a national dataset from Aotearoa New Zealand.

OBJECTIVES: Globally, one in six older adults in the community will be a victim of abuse (elder abuse; EA). Despite these horrific statistics, EA remains largely undetected and under-reported. Available screening methods and tools fail to accurately identify the phenomenon's true prevalence. We aimed to test assessment capture rates by altering the criteria for suspicion of EA in the interRAI-HC (International Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care) in a large national dataset. DESIGN: We employed secondary analyses of existing data to test a methodology to improve the detection of older adults at risk of EA using the interRAI-HC, which currently underestimates the extent of abuse. SETTING: The interRAI is a suite of clinical assessment instruments. In Aotearoa New Zealand, interRAI is mandatory in aged residential care and home and community services for older people living in the community. They are designed to show the assessor opportunities for improvement and any risks to the person's health. OUTCOME MEASURE: Capture rates of individuals at risk of EA when the interRAI Abuse-Clinical Assessment Protocol (A-CAP) is changed to include the unable to determine abuse (UDA) group shown in a pilot study to increase capture rates of individuals at risk of EA. RESULTS: Analysis of 9 years of interRAI-HC data (July 2013-June 2022) was undertaken, encompassing 186 713 individual assessments consisting of 108 992 women (58.4%) and 77 469 men (41.5%). The mean age was 82.1 years (range: 65-109); the majority 161 378 were European New Zealanders (86.4%) and the most common minority ethnicity was Maori (6.1%). Those at high risk of abuse (A-CAP) tended to be male (2402; 51.0%), were 79.2 years old on average (range 65-105), with 49.6% (2335) living alone, 39.4% (1858) suffering from depression and a majority were assessed as not having independent decision making (2942; 62.5%). In comparison, the UDA group showed similar characteristics to the A-CAP group on some measures. They were slightly younger than the general sample, with a mean age 80.1 years (range 65-107), they had higher rates of depression (2123; 33.5%) compared with the general sample (25 936; 14.8%) and a majority were assessed as not having independent decision-making (3855; 60.9%). The UDA group is distinct from the general sample and the UDA group broadly has similar but less extreme characteristics to the A-CAP group. Through altering the criteria for suspicion of EA, capture rates of at-risk individuals could be more than doubled from 2.5% to 5.9%. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that via adapting the interRAI-HC criteria to include the UDA category, the identification of older adults at risk of EA could be substantially improved, facilitating enhanced protection of this vulnerable population.

Screening for elder mistreatment in a Swiss emergency department: a prospective cohort study.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The mistreatment of older adults is a global and complex problem with varying prevalence. As there are no data on the prevalence of elder mistreatment in European emergency department populations, we aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Emergency Department Senior Abuse Identification (ED Senior AID) tool for German use, assess the positive screen rate for elder mistreatment with the German version, and compare characteristics of patients who screened positive and negative. METHODS: To assess the prevalence of elder mistreatment, we created a German version of the ED Senior AID tool. This tool identifies intentional or negligent actions by a caregiver or trusted person that cause harm or risk to an older adult. Then, the German ED Senior AID tool was applied to all consecutively presenting patients aged ≥65 years at our academic emergency department in the Northwest of Switzerland from 25 April to 30 May 2022. Usability was defined as the percentage of patients with completed assessments using the German ED Senior AID tool. RESULTS: We included 1010 patients aged ≥65 years, of whom 29 (2.9%) screened positive with the ED Senior AID tool. The patients who screened positive were older, more severely cognitively impaired, hospitalised more frequently, and presented with higher frailty scores than those who screened negative. Mortality up to 100 days after presentation was comparable in all patients (p = 0.861), regardless of their screening result. The tool showed good usability, with 73% of assessments completed. CONCLUSION: This is the first prospective investigation on the prevalence of elder mistreatment in a European emergency department setting. Overall, 2.9% of patients screened positive using a validated screening tool translated into German. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered with the National Institute of Health on ClinicalTrials.gov with the registration number NCT05400707.

ERASE: a feasible early warning tool for elder abuse, developed for use in the Dutch emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Elder abuse is a worldwide problem with serious consequences for individuals and society. To effectively deal with elder abuse, a timely identification of signals as well as a systematic approach towards (suspected) elder abuse is necessary. This study aimed to develop and test the acceptability and appropriateness of ERASE (EldeR AbuSE) in the emergency department (ED) setting. ERASE is an early warning tool for elder abuse self-administered by the healthcare professional in patients ≥ 70 years. METHODS: A systematic literature review was previously conducted to identify potential available instruments on elder abuse for use in the ED. Furthermore, a field consultation in Dutch hospitals was performed to identify practice tools and potential questions on the recognition of elder abuse that were available in clinical practice. Based on this input, in three subsequent rounds the ERASE tool was developed. The ERASE tool was tested in a pilot feasibility study in healthcare professionals (n = 28) working in the ED in three Dutch hospitals. A semi-structured online questionnaire was used to determine acceptability and appropriateness of the ERASE tool. RESULTS: The systematic literature review revealed seven screening instruments developed for use in the hospital and/or ED setting. In total n = 32 (44%) hospitals responded to the field search. No suitable and validated instruments for the detection of elder abuse in the ED were identified. The ERASE tool was developed, with a gut feeling awareness question, that encompassed all forms of elder abuse as starting question. Subsequently six signalling questions were developed to collect information on observed signs and symptoms of elder abuse and neglect. The pilot study showed that the ERASE tool raised the recognition of healthcare professionals for elder abuse. The tool was evaluated acceptable and appropriate for use in the ED setting. CONCLUSIONS: ERASE as early warning tool is guided by an initial gut feeling awareness question and six signalling questions. The ERASE tool raised the recognition of healthcare professionals for elder abuse, and was feasible to use in the ED setting. The next step will be to investigate the reliability and validity of the ERASE early warning tool.

Elder abuse geriatrics: describing an important new medical specialist.

Elder mistreatment, including elder abuse and neglect, is a difficult diagnosis to make and manage for most providers. To address this, two elder abuse consultation teams were developed for patients in the hospital and emergency department settings. As these teams have developed, the providers involved have obtained specialized training and experience that we believe contributes to a new field of elder abuse geriatrics, a corollary to the well-established field of child abuse pediatrics. Providers working in this field require specialized training and have a specialized scope of practice that includes forensic evaluation, evaluation of cognition and capacity, care coordination and advocacy for victims of abuse, and collaboration with protective services and law enforcement. Here we describe the training, scope of practice, ethical role, and best practices for elder mistreatment medical consultation. We hope this will serve as a starting point for this new and important medical specialty.

[What to do when elder abuse is suspected?] / Wat te doen als je ouderenmishandeling vermoedt?

Elder abuse is a worldwide problem with serious consequences for individuals and society. The recognition of elder abuse is complex due to a lack of awareness and knowledge. We present a case of a patient with signs of elder abuse. This case concerns a patient who showed signs of neglect and physical abuse as a result of possible derailed informal care provision. The mandatory reporting code on domestic violence of The Royal Dutch Medical Association was followed and measures were taken by the general practitioner. In the discussion, information on signs and types of elder abuse were provided, together with the description of risk factors.

The domestic elder abuse in China: Scale development and psychometric properties.

An effective screening tool is essential to elder abuse research. Although several instruments have been developed in China to measure elder abuse, they present several limitations. The instrument development involved three components: (1) generating questionnaire items; (2) questionnaire testing and data collection in older adults; and (3) psychometric evaluation of the Domestic Elder Abuse Scale (DEAS). We collected questionnaire responses from 3725 community-dwelling Chinese older adults. The 26-item DEAS showed good reliability and validity across five dimensions: physical abuse, psychological abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, and abandonment. These five factors accounted for 78.432 % of the total variance, and model fitting results were acceptable. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.975, and the test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.934 after 2 weeks. This study developed a five-dimension instrument to measure elder abuse, with good psychometric properties, which can play an essential role in community-based studies in China.

Healthcare costs for legally adjudicated elder mistreatment victims in comparison to non-mistreated older adults.

BACKGROUND: Elder mistreatment (EM) is associated with adverse health outcomes and healthcare utilization patterns that differ from other older adults. However, the association of EM with healthcare costs has not been examined. Our goal was to compare healthcare costs between legally adjudicated EM victims and controls. METHODS: We used Medicare insurance claims to examine healthcare costs of EM victims in the 2 years surrounding initial mistreatment identification in comparison to matched controls. We adjusted costs using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hierarchical Condition Categories (CMS-HCC) risk score. RESULTS: We examined healthcare costs in 114 individuals who experienced EM and 410 matched controls. Total Medicare Parts A and B healthcare costs were similar between cases and controls in the 12 months prior to initial EM detection ($11,673 vs. $11,402, p = 0.92), but cases had significantly higher total healthcare costs during the 12 months after initial mistreatment identification ($15,927 vs. $10,805, p = 0.04). Adjusting for CMS-HCC scores, cases had, in the 12 months after initial EM identification, $5084 of additional total healthcare costs (95% confidence interval [$92, $10,077], p = 0.046) and $5817 of additional acute/subacute/post-acute costs (95% confidence interval [$1271, $10,362], p = 0.012) compared with controls. The significantly higher total costs and acute/sub-acute/post-acute costs among EM victims in the post-year were concentrated in the 120 days after EM detection. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults experiencing EM had substantially higher total costs during the 12 months after mistreatment identification, driven by an increase in acute/sub-acute/post-acute costs and focused on the period immediately after initial EM detection.

Managing reports of trouble: designated officials' responses to reports of mistreatments initiated by service users and relatives.

Mandatory reporting of elder abuse aims to detect and prevent mistreatment and improve services. Service users and their relatives can raise concerns, but only staff can file mandatory reports. This article examines how the concerns of service users and relatives were managed by designated officials in reports of mistreatments in care for older adults in Sweden. We lean on sociological theories of "interpersonal trouble" and organizational "disputes domains." The thematic analysis is based on 28 incident reports initiated by service users or their relatives. The analysis shows that the reports were managed in one of three ways: asymmetrically, by 1) dismissing or 2) supporting the complainant's position, or symmetrically, by 3) treating complainants' accounts as credible but minimizing their seriousness. There were differences between reports initiated by service users and relatives. Dismissing concerns about abuse, mainly those made by relatives, risks support for service users failing.

Maltrato financiero a los adultos mayores. Policlínico "Carlos Manuel Portuondo", La Habana / Financial abuse of the elderly. "Carlos Manuel Portuondo" Polyclinic, Havana

Introducción: El envejecimiento poblacional impone complejos retos a la familia cubana. Uno de ellos es el maltrato financiero a los adultos mayores, tema insuficientemente abordado. Objetivos: Determinar la presencia de maltrato financiero en los adultos mayores, así como sus características. Material y Métodos: Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo transversal que incluyó a 175 adultos mayores de 60 años del policlínico Carlos Manuel Portuondo, entre enero y diciembre de 2018. Resultados: Se identificó maltrato financiero en 53.1 por ciento de los adultos mayores. Entre estos, predominó el sexo femenino, las edades entre 70 y 79 años, el padecer al menos una enfermedad crónica no transmisible, los viudos y jubilados. Las principales manifestaciones de maltrato reportadas fueron los préstamos sin devolución, las compras no autorizadas, negación de acceso al dinero propio y la presión para realizar trámites legales. Fueron los hijos los señalados como maltratadores con más frecuencia. Imperó además el sexo femenino, las edades entre 40 y 59 años, el nivel secundario de escolarización, los divorciados, las amas de casa. La mayoría tenía más de una persona a su cargo, no recibe ayuda económica externa y refirió antecedentes de atención por Salud Mental, mayormente debido a trastornos depresivo-ansiosos. Conclusiones: Se identificó la presencia de maltrato financiero en las personas mayores estudiadas, sus características, así como las de los presuntos maltratadores. Esta forma de violencia, a pesar de ser una de las menos abordadas, afecta a la población anciana y puede constituir un problema de salud(AU)

Introduction: Population aging imposes complex challenges to the Cuban family. One of them is financial abuse of the elderly, an issue that has been insufficiently addressed. Objectives: To determine the presence of financial abuse of the elderly as well as its characteristics. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study that included 175 adults older than 60 years attended at Carlos Manuel Portuondo polyclinic was carried out between January and December 2018. Results: Financial abuse was identified in 53.1percent of the elderly. Female sex, ages between 70 and 79 years, having at least one chronic non-communicable disease, widows and retirees predominated among them. The main manifestations of mistreatment reported were loans without refund, unauthorized purchases, denial of access to their own money and pressure to perform legal proceedings. The progenies were identified as the most frequent abusers. There was a prevalence of the female sex, ages between 40 and 59 years old, secondary level of education, divorced people, and housewives. Most of them had more than one person under their care, received no external financial help and reported a history of mental health care mainly due to depressive/anxious disorders. Conclusions: Financial abuse was identified in the elderly studied. This form of violence, despite being one of the least addressed, affects the elderly population and constitutes a health problem(AU)

Competências dos médicos no atendimento a idosos em situação de violência: revisão de escopo / Doctors' competences in caring for older people in situations of violence: scope review

Resumo Objetivo descrever, por meio das evidências da literatura, as competências dos médicos de serviços hospitalares diante de situações de violência contra a pessoa idosa (VCPI). Método revisão de escopo com busca em bases de dados/plataformas/buscadores e literatura cinzenta abrangendo Medline; BVS; Embase; CINAHL; Web of Science; BDTD, OpenGrey, OpenThesis, RCAAP, Portal de Teses e Dissertações da CAPES, DART-Europe E-theses Portal e Theses Canada Portal (catálogos Aurora e Voilà). Os descritores e palavras-chave utilizados, combinados com os operadores booleanos OR, AND e NOT, foram: "Physicians", "Médicos", "Atitude", "Attitude", "Conhecimento", "Knowledge", "Behavior", "Atendimento Médico", "Cuidados Médicos", "Medical Care", "Serviços Hospitalares", "Hospital Services", "Hospital", "Hospitalists", "Médicos Hospitalares", "Maus-Tratos ao Idoso", "Elder Abuse", "Physical Abuse", "Elder Neglect", "Aged Abuse", "Elder Mistreatment". Resultados seis trabalhos foram selecionados. Evidenciou-se falta de conhecimento sobre o tema e a abordagem, e de treinamento específico. Quanto às habilidades, os achados que mais levaram os médicos a suspeitarem de abuso foram achados físicos ligados à aparência, higiene e lesões - problemas de comunicação e relacionamento foram pouco apontados. Na atitude houve pesquisa de abusos em apenas 44% das suspeitas e percentuais baixos ou nulos de denúncia de casos. Apenas um estudo explorou a atitude frente às negligências, onde 24,8% relataram aos serviços sociais e 21,3% informaram à polícia. Conclusão a maioria dos casos de VCPI continua não percebida e, consequentemente, não reportada ou manejada. Há múltiplos problemas quanto às competências dos médicos hospitalares ao abordarem tais situações, cenário que expõe a demanda por medidas de sensibilização, capacitação e incentivo ao adequado enfrentamento da VCPI.

Abstract Objective describing by means of the evidence in the literature, the competences of doctors in hospital services in situations of violence against older people (VAOP). Method scope review with search in databases/platforms/searchers and grey literature covering Medline; VHL; Embase; CINAHL; Web of Science; BDTD, OpenGrey, OpenThesis, RCAAP, Portal de Teses e Dissertações da CAPES, DART-Europe E-theses Portal and Theses Canada Portal (Aurora and Voilà catalogs). The descriptors and keywords used, combined with the Boolean operators OR, AND, NOT were: "Physicians", "Doctors", "Attitude", "Attitude", "Knowledge", "Knowledge", "Behavior", "Medical Care", "Medical Care", "Medical Care", "Hospital Services", "Hospital Services", "Hospital", "Hospitalists", "Hospital Doctors", "Older People Abuse", "Older People Abuse", "Physical Abuse", "Older People Neglect ", "Aged Abuse", "Older People Mistreatment". Results six papers were selected. There was a lack of knowledge on the topic and the approach, and of specific training. As for skills, the findings that most led doctors to suspect abuse were physical findings linked to appearance, hygiene and injuries - communication and relationship problems were little mentioned. In the attitude, there was a research of abuse in only 44% of the suspicions and low or null percentages on case reporting. Only one study explored the attitude towards negligence, where 24.8% reported to social services and 21.3% informed the police. Conclusion most cases of VAOP remain unnoticed and therefore unreported or unhandled. There are multiple problems regarding the competences of hospital doctors when dealing with such situations, a scenario that exposes the demand for measures to raise awareness, training, and encouragement to adequately deal with VAOP.

Violência contra idosos: concepções dos profissionais de enfermagem acerca da detecção e prevenção / Violencia contra ancianos: conceptos de profesionales de enfermería sobre la detección y prevención / Violence against the elderly: the conceptions of nursing professionals regarding detection and prevention

Resumo OBJETIVO Analisar as concepções dos profissionais de enfermagem atuantes em Unidades Básicas de Saúde quanto à detecção e prevenção de idosos violentados. MÉTODOS Estudo descritivo, exploratório, qualitativo. Realizado em duas UBS, Mossoró/RN, utilizando roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada, em março a agosto de 2013. Amostra composta por quatro enfermeiros e seis técnicos de enfermagem. Realizada análise de conteúdo. RESULTADOS Identificaram-se 4 categorias: Estratégias utilizadas para identificar a violência contra o idoso; Tipos de violências contra o idoso; Conduta utilizada após constatação de uma suspeita de violência; SUS e a problemática da violência contra o idoso. Muitos profissionais reconhecem/desconfiam dos possíveis casos, entretanto, não sabem como proceder. A dimensão do problema exige que sejam realizadas intervenções pragmáticas no meio clínico e no contexto social. CONCLUSÕES Há necessidade de educação permanente para profissionais e maior comunicação entre as instâncias responsáveis pela denúncia e acolhimento.

Resumen OBJETIVO Analizar los conceptos de enfermeros activos en unidades básicas de la salud sobre la detección y prevención del maltrato hacia personas ancianas. MÉTODOS Estudio exploratorio, descriptivo y cualitativo, realizado en dos UBS, en Mossoro/RN, por medio de entrevistas semiestructuradas entre marzo y agosto de 2013. Se realizó el estudio con cuatro enfermeros y seis técnicos de enfermería. Se llevó a cabo el análisis de contenido. RESULTADOS El análisis se divide en 4 categorías: Estrategias utilizadas para identificar la violencia contra ancianos; Tipos de violencia contra personas mayores; Acción utilizada luego de detectarse la violencia; y SUS y el tema de la violencia contra ancianos. Muchos profesionales reconocen/desconfían de los posibles casos, sin embargo, no saben cómo proceder. La magnitud del problema requiere de intervenciones pragmáticas que se lleven a cabo en el ámbito clínico y en el contexto social. CONSIDERACIONES FINALES Existe la necesidad de una educación continua para profesionales y una mayor comunicación entre los organismos responsables de la queja y acogida.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To analyze the conceptions of the nursing professionals working in Basic Health Units regarding the detection and prevention of violence against the elderly. METHODS Descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study. Performed in two BHUs in Mossoró/RN, using a semi-structured interview script, from March to August of 2013. Sample composed of four nurses and six nursing technicians. The content analysis, pre-analysis, material exploration, and treatment of results were performed. RESULTS Four categories were identified: Strategies used to identify violence against the elderly; Types of violence against the elderly; Conduct used after finding a suspicion of violence; SUS and the problem of violence against the elderly. Many professionals recognize/distrust possible cases, however, they do not know how to proceed. The dimension of the problem requires that pragmatic interventions be performed in the clinical setting and in the social context. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS There is a need for continuing education for professionals and greater communication between the bodies responsible for reporting and embracement.

Psychometric properties of the Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale for screening abuse of older adults / Propriedades psicométricas da Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale para rastreio de abuso contra idosos

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale to identify risk of domestic violence against older adults in Brazil. METHODS The instrument was adapted and validated in a sample of 151 older adults from a geriatric reference center in the municipality of Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, in 2014. We collected sociodemographic, clinical, and abuse-related information, and verified reliability by reproducibility in a sample of 55 older people, who underwent re-testing of the instrument seven days after the first application. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed for all variables, with a significance level of 5%. The construct validity was analyzed by the principal components method with a tetrachoric correlation matrix, the reliability of the scale by the weighted Kappa (Kp) statistic, and the internal consistency by the Kuder-Richardson estimator formula 20 (KR-20). RESULTS The average age of the participants was 72.1 years (DP = 6.96; 95%CI 70.94–73.17), with a maximum of 92 years, and they were predominantly female (76.2%; 95%CI 69.82–83.03). When analyzing the relationship between the scores of the Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale, categorized by presence (score > 3) or absence (score < 3) of vulnerability to abuse, with clinical and health conditions, we found statistically significant differences for self-perception of health (p = 0.002), depressive symptoms (p = 0.000), and presence of rheumatism (p = 0.003). There were no statistically significant differences between sexes. The Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale acceptably evaluated validity in the transcultural adaptation process, demonstrating dimensionality coherent with the original proposal (four factors). In the internal consistency analysis, the instrument presented good results (KR-20 = 0.69) and the reliability via reproducibility was considered excellent for the global scale (Kp = 0.92). CONCLUSIONS The Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale proved to be a valid instrument with good psychometric capacity for screening domestic abuse against older adults in Brazil.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Adaptar e avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da Escala Triagem de Vulnerabilidade ao Abuso (Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale – VASS) para identificar risco de violência doméstica contra idosos no Brasil. MÉTODOS O instrumento foi adaptado e validado em uma amostra de 151 idosos de um centro de referência do idoso, do município de Belo Horizonte, MG, em 2014. Foram coletadas informações sociodemográficas, clínicas e relacionadas a abusos. A confiabilidade via reprodutibilidade foi verificada em uma amostra de 55 idosos, submetidos ao reteste do instrumento sete dias após a primeira aplicação. Foram realizadas análises descritivas e comparativas para todas as variáveis, com nível de significância de 5%. A validade de construto foi analisada pelo método de componentes principais com matriz de correlação tetracórica, a confiabilidade da escala pela estatística Kappa ponderado (Kp) e a consistência interna pelo estimador Kuder-Richardson fórmula 20 (KR-20). RESULTADOS A idade média dos participantes foi 72,1 anos (DP = 6,96; IC95% 70,94–73,17), com máxima de 92 anos, e o sexo foi predominantemente feminino (76,2%; IC95% 69,82–83,03). Ao analisar a relação entre os escores da Escala Triagem de Vulnerabilidade ao Abuso, categorizados em presença (índice > 3) ou ausência (índice < 3) de vulnerabilidade para abuso, com condições clínicas e de saúde, encontramos diferenças estatisticamente significantes para autopercepção de saúde (p = 0,002), sintomas depressivos (p = 0,000) e presença de reumatismo (p = 0,003). Em relação ao sexo, não houve diferença estatisticamente significante. A Escala Triagem de Vulnerabilidade ao Abuso comportou-se de forma aceitável na avaliação da validade no processo de adaptação transcultural, demonstrando dimensionalidade coerente com a proposta original (quatro fatores). Na análise da consistência interna, o instrumento apresentou bons resultados (KR-20 = 0,69) e a confiabilidade via reprodutibilidade foi considerara excelente para a escala global (Kp = 0,92). CONCLUSÕES A Escala Triagem de Vulnerabilidade ao Abuso mostra-se como instrumento válido e com boas capacidades psicométricas para o rastreio de abuso doméstico contra idosos no contexto brasileiro.

Maltrato intrafamiliar hacia el adulto mayor en el del Policlínico Reynold García de Versalles / Intra family mistreatment toward elder people in the Polyclinic Reynold García

Introducción: el maltrato al adulto mayor emerge como problema social, desde hace pocos años, y no porque antes no existiera, sino porque muchas veces existe en las familias y no sale a la luz pública. Objetivo: identificar maltrato intrafamiliar hacia los adultos mayores. Materiales y Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal en 60 adultos mayores de 60 años, pertenecientes al Consultorio Médico de Familia No. 87, del Policlínico Reynold García, área de Versalles de la ciudad de Matanzas, en el período comprendido entre abril 2014 a abril 2015. Se analizaron las variables: edad, sexo, existencia de maltrato, tipos de maltrato y factores de riesgo relacionados con el mismo. Los resultados fueron representados en tablas y expresados en cifras absolutas y relativas. Resultados: la prevalencia de violencia intrafamiliar fue de un 100 %, en adultos mayores. Las edades comprendidas entre 70 y 79 años fueron las más afectadas. Se comportó de igual forma para ambos sexos, (50 %). Los adultos con un nivel escolar bajo, resultaron más vulnerables al maltrato. El maltrato psicológico afectó a 100 % de los encuestados, seguido por la negligencia o abandono, (93,3 %). La depresión en el anciano, (56,7 %) y apoyo socio-familiar deficiente, (40 %). Un 38,3 % tenían una edad mayor de más de 75 años, factor de riesgo que más se relacionó con el incremento de la probabilidad para que un anciano recibiera algún tipo de maltrato. Conclusiones: la generalidad de los encuestados fueron víctimas de maltrato, independientemente del sexo. Los ancianos más vulnerables fueron los de bajo nivel de escolaridad, predominando la violencia psicológica, negligencia y el abandono. El sentimiento de incapacidad física y emocional para soportar el esfuerzo a realizar, el abuso de alcohol o psicofármacos, dependencia económica o de vivienda; fueron los factores que los convirtieron dependientes del familiar, y que más se relacionaron con el maltrato al anciano.

Introduction: elder people mistreatment emerges as a social problem since a few years ago, not because it did not exist before, but because in many cases it exists inside the family, but it is not perceived from outside. Objective: identifying intra family mistreatment toward elder people. Materials and methods: a descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in 60 old adults elder than 60 years, belonging to Family Physician Consultation Nr. 87, of the Policlinic Reynold García, health area Versalles, in the city of Matanzas, in the period between April 2014 and April 2015. The analyzed variables were: age, sex, maltreatment existence, kinds of maltreatment and risk factors related with it. The results were given in tables and expressed in absolute and relative numbers. Results: The intra family violence prevalence was 100 % in elder people. The ages between 70 and 79 years were the most affected ones. It behaved in the same form for both sexes (50 %). Elder people with lower scholarship were the most vulnerable ones to maltreatment. Psychological maltreatment affected 100 % of the enquired people, followed by negligence or abandonment (93.3 %), elder people depression (56.7 %) and deficient socio-family support (40 %). 38.3 % were older than 75 years old, risk factor that was the most related with the probability of elder people being target of any kind of maltreatment. Conclusions: the total of the inquired people were victims of maltreatment, in spite of the sex. The most vulnerable elder people were the ones with low scholarship level, predominating psychological violence, negligence and abandonment. Feelings of physical and emotional incapability to stand the effort to carry out, alcohol and psycho drugs abuse, economical or dwelling dependence were the factors that led them to become dependants on the relative, and also the ones that were more related with elder people maltreatment.

Instrumentos quantitativos validados para identificação/rastreamento de violência contra a pessoa idosa / Validated quantittive screening instruments for identification of violence against the elderly

A violência contra a pessoa idosa tem uma natureza velada e pode ser mais bem identificada com o uso de instrumentos especificamente construídos para tal. O objetivo deste artigo é o de revisar os progressos realizados no campo da construção e validação de instrumentos de rastreamento e avaliação de violência contra a pessoa idosa; debater sobre os valores e limitações de tais instrumentos e identificar entre eles aqueles que já tenham sido validados para uso no contexto brasileiro. Dos onze instrumentos pesquisados e descritos, identificou-se que somente o CASE e o H-S/EAST passaram por processos de adaptação transcultural e validação para uso em língua portuguesa no Brasil. O uso de ferramentas de rastreio de violência contra a pessoa idosa agrega valor ao processo decisório do profissional que as utiliza, e ajuda-o a nortear suas ações sobre denúncia do abuso identificado e encaminhamento do caso para a devida assistência.

Violence against the elderly has a veiled nature and can be best identified with the use of instruments specifically designed for this. The purpose of this article is to review progress in the field of construction and validation of screening instruments and evaluation of violence against the elderly; discuss the values and limitations of such instruments and identify among them those that have been validated for use in the Brazilian context. Of the eleven instruments surveyed and described it was found that only the CASE and the HS/EAST undergone processes of cultural adaptation and validation for use in Portuguese language in Brazil. The use of screening tools for violence against elder adds value to the decision-making process that uses professional and helps to guide their actions on the identified abuse complaint and referral of the case to the appropriate assistance.

Adaptação transcultural para o português (Brasil) da Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS) para rastreio da violência contra idosos / Brazilian Portuguese cross-cultural adaptation of the Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS) for screening of violence against the elderly / Adaptación transcultural para el Portugués (Brasil) de la Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS) para la detección de la violencia contra ancianos

A literatura aponta a insuficiência de instrumentos disponibilizados em português para a detecção da violência contra idosos. Assim, parece oportuno disponibilizar versões lusófonas de ferramentas advindas de outras culturas. A Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS) contém 12 itens que constatam o risco à violência contra idosos. Este trabalho objetivou promover a adaptação transcultural para o Brasil da VASS. Verificou-se que o conceito utilizado para a construção do instrumento, bem como seus itens mostram-se adequados à investigação do fenômeno. Evidenciou-se boa equivalência semântica entre os itens das retrotraduções e do instrumento original, especialmente quanto aos resultados de T1 – R1. Os juízes optaram pelo uso de 11 itens de T1 à versão-síntese. A equivalência operacional mostrou-se satisfatória. Em geral, os resultados apresentados mostram-se aceitáveis. Destaca-se que o instrumento ainda não apresentou resultados satisfatórios que indiquem viabilidade de seu uso. Conclui-se que é necessário revisar, replicar o instrumento para a verificação da validade.

The literature indicates a lack of available tools in Portuguese for detecting violence against the elderly. It thus seems appropriate to provide Portuguese-language versions of tools originating from other cultures. The Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS) contains 12 items that identify the risk of violence against the elderly. The current study aimed to conduct a Brazilian Portuguese cultural adaptation of VASS. The concept used to construct the instrument and its items proved appropriate for investigating the target phenomenon. The study showed good semantic equivalence between items in the back-translations and the original instrument, especially for T1 - R1. The judges opted to use 11 items from T1 for the short version. Operational equivalence was satisfactory. The results were generally acceptable. However, the instrument still failed to show sufficiently satisfactory results to confirm the feasibility of its use. In conclusion, the instrument needs to be revised and replicated to further verify its validity.

La literatura señala la insuficiencia de instrumentos que estén disponibles en portugués para la detección de la violencia contra la tercera edad. Por ello, parece oportuno poner a disposición del público interesado versiones lusófonas de herramientas que provengan de otras culturas. La Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS) contiene 12 ítems que constatan el riesgo de la violencia contra la tercera edad. Este trabajo tuvo como meta promover la adaptación transcultural para Brasil de la VASS. Se verificó el concepto utilizado para la construcción de este instrumento, así como que sus ítems se mostraran adecuados para la investigación del fenómeno. Se evidenció una buena equivalencia semántica entre los ítems de las retrotraducciones y del instrumento original, especialmente, en cuanto a los resultados de T1 – R1. Los jueces optaron por el uso de 11 ítems de T1 en la versión-síntesis. La equivalencia operacional se mostró satisfactoria. En general, los resultados presentados se muestran aceptables. Se destaca que el instrumento todavía no presentó resultados satisfactorios que indiquen la viabilidad de su uso. Se concluye que es necesario revisar, replicar el instrumento con el fin de verificar su validez.

A violência contra o idoso na visão do agente comunitário de saúde / The violence against the elderly from the community health worker’s view

Identificar a percepção do agente comunitário de saúde (ACS) em relação ao idoso que foi vitima de violência e analisar o fluxo de atendimento dos casos de violência contra o idoso identificados pelos ACS. Trata-se de estudo exploratório e descritivo com uma abordagem qualitativa, sendo os sujeitos os ACS. A coleta de informações foi realizada por meio de entrevista semiestruturada e os dados foram categorizados com base no referencial de analise temática de Minayo. Os aspectos da Resolução n. 196/96 do Conselho Nacional de Saúde (CNS) foram observados. Neste estudo, a partir das falas dos ACS, surgiram duas categorias: 1) Percepção sobre o idoso identificado como vitima de violência, na qual se retrata a imagem da violência observada durante as visitas domiciliares; e 2) Notificação: identificação do caso no fluxo de atendimento – esta aponta que as instituições que notificam e acolhem o idoso que foi vitima de violência são as unidades básicas de saúde (UBS) e o Centro de Referencia de Assistência Social (CRAS). A partir dessas instituições, ocorre o encaminhamento para outros serviços. Conclui-se que os ACS consideram a violência intrafamiliar predominante, que e cometida por quem compartilha o dia a dia com o idoso e envolve, principalmente, a negligencia. Em relação as instituições, estas não dialogam na perspectiva de socialização de informações dos casos notificados, assim, vivencia-se uma ausência de fluxo de atendimento para essa família. Em compensação, os ACS apresentam uma proposta de fluxo de atendimento para as instituições.

Identify the perception of community health workers (CHWs) with regard to the elderly person victimized by violence and analyze the flow of care for cases of violence against the elderly person identified by CHWs. This is an exploratory and descriptive study with a qualitative approach, and the CHWs are its subjects. The collection of information was conducted through a semi-structured interview and the data were categorized having Minayo’s thematic analysis framework as a basis. One observed the aspects of the Resolution 196/96, from the Brazilian National Health Council (CNS). In this study, through the CHWs’ speeches, two categories emerged: 1) Perception on the elderly person identified as a victim of violence, in which one portrays the violence image observed during the home visits; and 2) Notification: identification of the case in the flow of care - this points out that the institutions which notify and embrace the elderly person victimized by violence are the basic health units (BHU) and the Reference Center for Social Assistance (RCSA). Through these institutions takes place the referral to other services. One concludes that the CHWs regard the intrafamily violence as the predominant one, which is committed by someone who shares her/his daily life with the elderly person and it involves, especially, negligence. Regarding the institutions, they don’t dialogue from the perspective of socializing information on the notified cases, thus, one experiences a lack of flow of care for this family. In return, the CHWs present a proposal for flow of care to the institutions.

Abordagem profissional da violência familiar contra o idoso em uma unidade básica de saúde / A professional approach to family violence against the elderly in a primary health clinic / Enfoque profesional de la violencia familiar contra personas mayores en una unidad basica de salud

O presente artigo tem como objetivo descrever a abordagem profissional da violência familiar contra idosos em uma unidade básica de saúde (UBS). Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, com dados coletados por meio de observação participante com registro em diário de campo e entrevistas semiestruturadas. Participaram das entrevistas dez profissionais da UBS. Os dados foram analisados segundo o referencial da Grounded Theory e duas categorias foram discutidas: manejo profissional de situações de violência familiar contra o idoso e condições da UBS para atender a situações de violência familiar contra o idoso. Os dados apontam para dificuldades dos profissionais de identificar situações de violência e crenças relacionadas à impossibilidade de enfrentá-la. Em termos institucionais, os dados indicam fatores que desfavorecem a detecção e acompanhamento dos casos como a menor ênfase no trabalho interdisciplinar e rotinas voltadas para a saúde física. O estudo sugere a necessidade de oferecer aos profissionais oportunidade para a reflexão sobre violência e possibilidades de intervenção.

This article aims to describe a professional approach in a primary health clinic towards family violence against the elderly. This qualitative study collected data through participant observation recorded in a field diary, in addition to semi-structured interviews. Ten health workers from the clinic participated in the interviews. Data were analyzed according to Grounded Theory, and two categories were discussed: professional approach to domestic violence against the elderly and the clinic's management of situations involving such violence. The data point to professionals' difficulties in identifying violent situations and beliefs related to the inability to cope with it. In institutional terms, the data also highlight factors that hinder detection of cases, such as limited emphasis on interdisciplinary work and routines focused on physical health. The study suggests the need to offer health workers the opportunity to reflect on domestic violence and possibilities for intervention.

Este artículo tiene como objetivo describir el enfoque profesional de la violencia familiar contra las personas mayores en una unidad básica de salud (UBS). Es un estudio cualitativo, con datos recogidos a través de la observación de participantes con notas en un diario de campo y entrevistas semiestructuradas. Participaron diez profesionales y los datos fueron analizados según la Grounded Theory y se discutieron dos categorías: la gestión profesional de las situaciones de violencia doméstica contra las personas mayores y las condiciones de la UBS para atender situaciones de violencia familiar contra los ancianos. Los datos apuntan a dificultades profesionales para identificar la violencia y creencias relacionadas con la incapacidad para hacerla frente. En términos institucionales, indican factores que dificultan la detección y el seguimiento de los casos como un menor énfasis en el trabajo interdisciplinario y rutinas centradas en la salud física. Se sugiere la necesidad de ofrecer a los profesionales una oportunidad para la reflexión sobre la violencia y las posibilidades de intervención.

The prevalence of elder abuse in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area

Abuse of the elderly is a form of violence to come to the public's attention. Dental professionals are in an ideal position to identify physical abuse. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of elderly abuse and analyze the database of injury reports that can be identified by dental teams. A documentary analysis study developed by the Elderly Protection Police Station of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, was carried out. The information used came from 2,304 complaints filed at the aforementioned institution between the years of 2004 and 2006. The records of abuse are categorized as injury, neglect, mistreatment, theft, financial abuse, threat, disturbing the peace, atypical fact, and others. The injuries that could be identified by the dental team were classified according to the injury's location in the area of the head, face, mouth and neck. Descriptive analysis was performed, and chi-square tests were used to evaluate the distributions of the types of elder abuse in relation to sex and age. The most frequent of the different types of abuse was theft, with a prevalence of 17.8%, followed by disturbing the peace at 11.8%. Disturbing the peace, threat, and bodily injury were significantly associated with women. Elder abuse among women and men declines with age. The prevalence of head injury was 25% of the total injuries, most often in females, and in those aged < 70 years. Based on these results, it is necessary that the dental team observe the elderly person's appearance for suspicious physical signs.

Maus-tratos contra a pessoa idosa, da suspeita à notificação: um desafio para os profissionais do Hospital do Servidor Público Municipal

O estudo objetiva fornecer subsídios à equipe na identificação de sinais de suspeita de maus-tratos contra os idosos que são atendidos no HSPM.