Maus-tratos contra idosos em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul: um estudo documental

Violência na velhice: representações sociais elaboradas por pessoas idosas

Resumo Objetivo analisar as representações sociais, para homens e mulheres idosos, acerca da violência na velhice. Método estudo qualitativo baseado no referencial teórico-metodológico das representações sociais. Participaram 40 idosos usuários de Unidades de Saúde da Família em João Pessoa-PB, Brasil, através de entrevistas individuais, organizadas e submetidas ao software IRAMUTEQ, por meio da Classificação Hierárquica Descendente. Resultados a análise apontou cinco classes: Suscetibilidade da pessoa idosa; Prevenção da violência; Responsabilidade social; Expressão social da violência ao idoso; e Violência intrafamiliar. Os dados denotam que as representações da violência são expressas por fatores individuais, comunitários e relacionais/sociais, revelando algumas diferenças de gênero. Conclusões e implicações para a prática percebe-se que o gênero é elemento significativo nas representações. Enquanto os homens indicaram a necessidade de prevenção do fenômeno por meio da educação e responsabilização social, as mulheres apontaram noções subjetivas, incluindo abusos cometidos por familiares, e destacaram a relevância do profissional de saúde para a sua identificação. Tais aspectos apartam singularidades que carecem de um olhar apurado da enfermagem e demais profissionais das equipes da atenção básica, reconhecendo possíveis casos, notificando-os e agindo intersetorialmente para a interrupção das situações verificadas.

Violence in old age: social representations elaborated by elderly people

Abstract Objective to analyze the social representations, for elderly men and women, about violence in old age. Method qualitative study based on the theoretical-methodological framework of social representations. Participants were 40 elderly users of Family Health Units in João Pessoa-PB, Brazil, through individual interviews, organized and submitted to the IRAMUTEQ software, concluded by the Descending Hierarchical Classification. Results the analysis pointed to five classes: Susceptibility of the elderly; Violence prevention; Social responsibility; Social expression of violence against the elderly; and Intrafamily violence. The data show that the representations of violence are expressed by individual, community and relational/social factors, revealing some gender differences. Conclusions and implications for practice it is clear that gender is a significant element in representations. While men indicated the need to prevent the phenomenon through education and social accountability, women pointed to subjective notions, including abuses committed by family members, and highlighting the relevance of the health professional for its identification. Such aspects separate out singularities that lack an accurate look from nursing and other professionals of the primary care teams, recognizing possible cases, notifying them and acting intersectorally to interrupt the situations verified.

Financial abuse: circumstances of occurrences against older adults

Abstract Objective: To analyze the occurrences of financial abuse against older adults. Methods: a descriptive and retrospective cross-sectional study with a qualitative and quantitative approach was conducted through the analysis of 209 Police Reports (PR) of financial abuse against older adults, dated between October 2016 and March 2017. Data analysis was performed by content analysis in the thematic modality. Results: The profile of the victims was characterized as follows: male (50.72%), aged from 60 to 69 years old (56.6%) and living with a partner (48.33%). Financial abuse against older adults is mainly committed by strangers, in 85.6% of cases, and in 6.7% of cases by family members. The sociodemographic characteristics of most offenders were unknown. Three cores of meaning relating to the types of financial abuse were identified: appropriation and damage; exposure to fraud/extortion and theft/robbery. Conclusion: There is a need for actions aimed at preventing and protecting against the financial abuse of older adults, in order to avoid suffering and emotional, physical and social harm. In addition, further studies are needed to more effectively highlight the association of alterations during the aging process and financial violence.

Violência contra idosos em um município do sul de minas gerais: uma análise documental

Objetivo: analizar los casos de violencia contra ancianos en un municipio del sur de Minas Gerais (Brasil), en un periodo de 13 años. Materiales y método: estudio cuantitativo, retrospectivo, documental y analítico, que utilizó datos del Consejo Municipal del Anciano. La recolección de los datos referentes al periodo de 2004 a 2016 se dio en el primer semestre de 2017. Para el análisis de tendencia de los casos de violencia, se empleó la regresión lineal simple. Resultados: se registraron 389 denuncios; sin embargo, solo 273 caracterizaban denuncios de violencia contra el adulto mayor. En cuanto al agresor, el 39,56 % era de sexo masculino y el 43,59 % eran hijos de las víctimas. En relación con el tipo de violencia, se destacó la negligencia (34,80 %), seguida de la violencia psicológica (16,12 %) y financiera (8,79 %). Se evidenció una relación estadísticamente significativa entre el sexo de la víctima (p = 0,017), la relación entre víctima y denunciante (p < 0,001) y la relación entre víctima y agresor (p < 0,001), con el tipo de violencia. Conclusión: la violencia contra el adulto mayor en tal municipio implica, sobre todo, a los familiares de los individuos. Hay necesidad de capacitar a los profesionales que atienden estos casos y hay que elaborar una herramienta completa y estandarizada para el registro de incidencias y ampliación de investigaciones en el área, con el fin de que se implanten acciones que combatan la violencia contra el anciano.

Animal Hoarding Disorder: A new psychopathology?

This study aimed to characterize the sociodemographic profile of animal hoarders in a southern city of Brazil. In addition, it aimed to propose Animal Hoarding Disorder as a new nosological category, distinct from Hoarding Disorder. Thirty-three individuals with Animal Hoarding Disorder, 73% female and 60% elderly, composed the sample. The average age of the sample was 61.39 years (SD = 12.69) and the average period that individuals hoarded or lived with a large number of animals was 23.09 years (SD = 15.98.) It was observed that 56.7% of the sample hoarded other inanimate objects, besides the animals. The total number of hoarded animals was 1.357 and the average number of animals per hoarder was approximately 41 (SD = 24.41). Significant differences between hoarding disorder and animal hoarding are discussed. Unlike hoarded objects, hoarded animals generally do not obstruct domicile environments. The processes of disengaging from or donating animals also differ from those of object hoarding, since there is an affectional bond with lives and not with unanimated objects. In this sense, the characterization of Animal Hoarding Disorder as a new mental disorder may arouse great interest from both clinical professionals and researchers.

Elder abuse within the family environment in the Azores Islands

Objectives:

to dimension abuse against vulnerable adults within the family and community environment in the Azores Islands, identify risk factors for abuse and describe the profile of an abused elder.

Method:

descriptive cross-sectional study. Random sampling. The instruments used were: clinical histories of the users, Mini-Mental State Examination, Index of Independence in Basic Activities of Daily Living, Family APGAR Scale, Elder Abuse Suspicion Index and Social Work Assessment Form. Descriptive statistical analysis was used for qualitative and quantitative variables and multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with elder mistreatment.

Results:

abuse suspicion was identified in 24.5% of elderly participants. Psychological abuse was the most common type of abuse and sons were the main abusers.

Conclusion:

being a woman and belonging to a dysfunctional family is associated with an increased risk of becoming a victim of abuse; the high level of domestic violence against the elderly in the Azores Islands is in line with the rest of Portugal.