Evidence-based practice guideline: elder abuse prevention.

Edited by Deborah Perry Schoenfelder, PhD, RN Elder abuse is a problem that occurs across all settings and is encountered by all health care providers and others not in the health care field. Elder abuse is “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person” (World Health Organization, n.d., para. 1). Elder abuse has many forms, such as abandonment, emotional or psychological abuse, financial or material exploitation, neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse (Daly & Jogerst, 2001, 2006). In addition, resident-to-resident abuse can occur in institutional settings. In institutional settings, elder abuse can take on a different meaning. According to Wierucka and Goodridge (1996): The collective nature of institutions means there is greater potential for abuse/neglect to occur as there are more people and more interactions than in community settings. The nature of the interactions may create very strong tensions among administrators, staff, and residents. The client and his/her family are more physically and psychologically vulnerable than in other settings. (p. 88) Estimates of elder abuse prevalence are available from a variety of sources, such as adult protective