More Than 1 of 10 Older Americans Suffering Verbal,
Financial Mistreatment, Study Finds
Of the people reporting verbal mistreatment, 26
percent identified their spouse or romantic partner as being responsible
Aug.
19, 2008 - About 13 percent of elderly Americans are mistreated, most
commonly by someone who verbally mistreats or financially takes
advantage of them, according to a University of Chicago study that is
the first comprehensive look at elder mistreatment in the country.
"The population of the country is aging, and people
now live with chronic diseases longer. So it's important to understand,
from a health perspective, how people are being treated as they age,"
said lead author Edward Laumann, the George Herbert Mead Distinguished
Service Professor in Sociology at the University of Chicago.
Other studies have been based on small,
non-representative samples of the population or on data gathered from
the criminal justice system or welfare agencies such as adult protection
services. They are not as comprehensive as the new study, which was made
in response to a report from the National Research Council calling for
scientific study of elder mistreatment.
Laumann and his research team found that
● 9 percent of adults reported verbal mistreatment,
● 3.5 percent reported financial mistreatment and
● 0.2 percent reported physical mistreatment.
Physical impairment apparently plays a role in
mistreatment, the study found.
"Older people with any physical vulnerability are
about 13 percent more likely than those without one to report verbal
mistreatment but are not more likely to report financial mistreatment,"
said co-author Linda Waite, the Lucy Flower Professor in Sociology at
the University.
Their study showed that adults in their late 50s
and 60s are more likely to report verbal or financial mistreatment than
those who are older.
"Perhaps the respondents are including fairly
routine arguments, perhaps about money, with their spouse, sibling or
child in their reports or perhaps older adults are more reticent to
report negative behavior," Laumann said.
The findings, which found wide variations in
mistreatment depending on age and ethnicity, were reported in "Elder
Mistreatment in the U.S.: Prevalence Estimates from a
Nationally-Representative Study," published in the current issue of the
Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.
The study found that females were about twice as
likely to report verbal mistreatment, but no higher level of financial
mistreatment, than men.
Latinos were about half as likely as whites to
report verbal mistreatment and 78 percent less likely to report
financial mistreatment; and blacks were 77 percent more likely to report
financial mistreatment than whites.
Regarding mistreatment, respondents were asked
about the past 12 months and answer three questions:
● "Is there anyone who insults you or puts you down?" (verbal);
● "Is there anyone who has taken your money or belongings without
your OK or prevented you from getting them, even when you ask?"
(financial); and
● "Is there anyone who hits, kicks, slaps or throws things at you?"
(physical).
Of the people reporting verbal mistreatment, 26
percent identified their spouse or romantic partner as being
responsible, 15 percent said their children mistreated them verbally,
while the remainder said that a friend, neighbor, co-worker or boss was
responsible.
Among people who reported financial mistreatment,
57 percent reported someone other than a spouse, parent or child,
usually another relative, was taking advantage of them.
Waite said there is good news, though. Few older
adults reported mistreatment by family members, with older adults quite
insulated from physical mistreatment. However, the authors pointed to
the need for sensitivity on the part of physicians and other medical
personnel to the possibility, although infrequent, of physical
mistreatment of their patients.
Editors Notes:
Sarah Leitsch, a research scientist at the National
Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, joined in the
study.
The study was based on the National Social Life,
Health and Aging Project (NSHAP), a 2005-2006 survey of a random sample
of 3,005 community-dwelling adults, ages 57 through 85. The National
Institutes of Health (NIH) supported the study, which collected data on
individuals' social lives, sexuality, health and a broad range of
biological measures.
The NSHAP is supported by several components of the
NIH, including the National Institute on Aging, the Office of Research
on Women's Health, the Office of AIDS Research and the Office of
Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. The National Opinion Research
Center, whose staff was responsible for the data collection, also
supports the project.
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Aug.
19, 2008 - About 13 percent of elderly Americans are mistreated, most
commonly by someone who verbally mistreats or financially takes
advantage of them, according to a University of Chicago study that is
the first comprehensive look at elder mistreatment in the country.