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Elder Maltreatment: Risk and Protective Factors
Risk Factors
A combination of individual, relational, community, and societal factors contribute to the risk of becoming a perpetrator of elder maltreatment. They are contributing factors and may or may not be direct causes.
Understanding these factors can help identify various opportunities for prevention.
Risk Factors for Perpetration
Individual Level
- Current diagnosis of mental illness
- Current abuse of alcohol
- High levels of hostility
- Poor or inadequate preparation or training for care giving responsibilities
- Assumption of caregiving responsibilities at an early age
- Inadequate coping skills
- Exposure to maltreatment as a child
- High financial and emotional dependence upon a vulnerable elder
- Past experience of disruptive behavior
- Lack of social support
- Lack of formal support
Community Level
- Formal services, such as respite care for those providing care to elders, are limited, inaccessible, or unavailable
Societal Level
A culture where:
- there is high tolerance and acceptance of aggressive behavior;
- health care personnel, guardians, and other agents are given greater freedom in routine care provision and decision making;
- family members are expected to care for elders without seeking help from others;
- persons are encouraged to endure suffering or remain silent regarding their pains; or
- there are negative beliefs about aging and elders.
In addition to the above factors, there are also specific characteristics of institutional settings that may increase the risk for perpetration of vulnerable elders in these settings, including: unsympathetic or negative attitudes toward residents, chronic staffing problems, lack of administrative oversight, staff burnout, and stressful working conditions.
Protective Factors for Elder Maltreatment
Protective factors reduce risk for perpetrating abuse and neglect. Protective factors have not been studied as extensively or rigorously as risk factors. However, identifying and understanding protective factors are equally as important as researching risk factors.
Several potential protective factors are identified below. Research is needed to determine whether these factors do indeed buffer elders from maltreatment.
Protective Factors for Perpetration
Relationship Level
- Having numerous, strong relationships with people of varying social status
Community Level
- Coordination of resources and services among community agencies and organizations that serve the elderly population and their caregivers.
- Higher levels of community cohesion and a strong sense of community or community identity
- Higher levels of community functionality and greater collective efficacy
Factors within institutional settings that may be protective include: effective monitoring systems in place; solid institutional policies and procedures regarding patient care; regular training on elder abuse and neglect for employees; education about and clear guidance on how durable power of attorney is to be used; and regular visits by family members, volunteers, and social workers.
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- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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