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Elder Abuse pp 109–123Cite as

The Consequences of Elder Abuse

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Abstract

Increased life expectancy has resulted in a growing number of persons over age 65, and this number continues to escalate. The increasing population of older people has led to the prediction that aging is accompanied by greater physical and mental problems that result in dependency—and also lead to situations in which elders may be mistreated. The consequences of mistreatment for elders at large, for individuals, and for society as a whole are shown in this chapter, including physical and emotional consequences as well as mortality. The lived experiences of abused elders are explored, emphasizing not only vulnerabilities but also resilience, and the need to listen to older adults and involve them in the research, planning, and evaluation of all aspects of intervention. A determinant of health framework is used to provide a comprehensive method of inquiry into this complex topic, including such important elements as gender and culture, coping skills, the role of health services, and physical, social, and legal environments.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, JOR-1040, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada

    Elizabeth Podnieks

  2. Committee on National Statistics, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 5802 Nicholson Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA

    Cynthia Thomas

Authors
  1. Elizabeth Podnieks
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  2. Cynthia Thomas
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Correspondence to Elizabeth Podnieks .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    XinQi Dong

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Podnieks, E., Thomas, C. (2017). The Consequences of Elder Abuse. In: Dong, X. (eds) Elder Abuse. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47504-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47504-2_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-47502-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-47504-2

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