Factors that influence abusive interactions between aging women and their caregivers

Abstract

Research findings suggest that one or more factors-personality and/or drug or financial dependency, cognitive and personality impairments, contextual factors, or severe stress-render elders vulnerable to caregiver maltreatment (i.e., either abuse or neglect), but may also make them more prone to abusing their caregivers. However, it is often the interaction between elders and caregivers that determines whether maltreatment will actually occur. Maltreatment of elders is less likely when caregivers (1) are free of mental impairments and of drug and personality dependency, (2) are trained to cope with the stress of caregiving and of highly provocative and/or abusive elders, (3) and are adequately reimbursed and socially supported.