Recurrent abuse common for seniors living with abusers
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* Julia Haskins

Older adults who return home with their abusers after being hospitalized for assault are more likely to experience recurrent abuse, a recent study finds.

According to the study published online May 9 in the *Journal of the American Geriatrics Society*, seniors who experience subsequent physical abuse after being hospitalized for their injuries are also more likely to be female, widowed and have dementia.

The study analyzed the records of people ages 60 and older who were treated for physical and sexual abuse at five hospitals in the greater Chicago metropolitan area between 2000 and 2011.

Of the 111 cases of physical and sexual abuse among older adults studied, slightly more than half of victims had documented histories of recurrent abuse. Such victims were also more likely to be abused at the hands of close family members and significant others, such as a husband, boyfriend or child, in unarmed assaults. Conversely, people without documented histories of revictimization had a greater likelihood of being abused by more distant relatives.

The characteristics of older victims experiencing recurrent abuse are consistent with other trends in violence, according to lead study author Lee Friedman, PhD, associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“It’s this kind of perpetuation of violence that cycles through the family,” and may begin long before adulthood, Friedman told The Nation’s Health.

Furthermore, violence perpetuated against women is disproportionately high in cases of intimate partner violence, he noted.

As some older adults’ cognitive abilities worsen, caregivers may experience burnout and be more likely to retaliate against their loved ones — a phenomenon that has been shown in previous research, Friedman said. Such a “reciprocity in violence” also signals a need to provide caregivers with sufficient resources to help themselves and their loved ones.

Hospital records showed that nearly 60 percent of senior-abuse victims had their cases reported to the police or Adult Protective Services, but just about one-quarter of victims had investigations on record with the agency. Overall, fewer than 10 percent of cases of physical and sexual abuse toward older adults are reported to Adult Protective Services.

According to Friedman, overwhelmed hospital staff can benefit from automated tools that allow them to pre-screen for patients who are determined to be at high risk of abuse. Such tools help staff pinpoint patients who are experiencing abuse, which, in turn, can lead to better outcomes for senior victims by creating a safer discharge process.

“By integrating automated screeners into electronic health record systems, these tools can go beyond screening to focus on improving quality of care by assisting with accurate and timely reporting, assessing individuals’ needs before discharge, and integrating social service providers who are experts in elder mistreatment into the discharge process,” the study concluded.

For more information, visit [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/jgs.14794/full](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/jgs.14794/full).

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association