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Gagnon S, Nadeau A, Tanguay K, Archambault PM, Brousseau AA, Carmichael PH, Emond M, Deshaies JF, Benhamed A, Blanchard PG, Mowbray FI, Mercier E. Prevalence and predictors of elder abuse among older adults attending emergency departments: a prospective cohort study. CAN J EMERG MED 2023; 25:953-958. [PMID: 37853307 DOI: 10.1007/s43678-023-00600-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Elder abuse is associated with impaired physical and psychological health. It is, however, rarely identified in emergency departments (EDs). The objective was to determine the prevalence and the predictors of elder abuse among older adults visiting EDs. METHODS This prospective cohort study was conducted in eight Canadian EDs between May and August 2021. Patients were eligible if they were ≥ 65 years old, oriented to time, and with a Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale score 3, 4 or 5. In a private setting, participants were questioned directly about abuse as part of a larger questionnaire exploring ten non-medical problems. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of elder abuse. RESULTS A total of 1061 participants were recruited (mean age: 77.1 (SD 7.6) years, female sex: 55.7%, lived alone: 42.5%). Patients mostly attended EDs for pain (19.6%), neurologic (11.3%) or cardiovascular (8.4%) symptoms. The most frequent pre-existing comorbidities were hypertension (67.2%), mental health conditions (33.3%) and cardiac insufficiency (29.6%). Mobility issues outside (41.0%) or inside their home (30.7%) and loneliness (29.4%) were also frequent. Fifty-four (5.1%) participants reported elder abuse, of which 34.3% were aware of available community-based resources. Identified predictors of elder abuse were female sex (OR 2.8 [95%CI 1.4; 5.6]), financial difficulties (OR 3.6 [95%CI 1.8; 7.3]), food insecurity (OR 2.7 [95%CI 1.2; 5.6]), need for a caregiver (OR 2.7 [95%CI 1.5; 5.0]) and at least one pre-existing mental health condition (OR 2.6 [95%CI 1.4; 4.9]). CONCLUSION When questioned directly, 5.1% of older adults attending EDs reported experiencing abuse. Female sex, functional impairment, social vulnerability, and mental health comorbidities are associated with elder abuse. Given its importance and relatively high prevalence, ED professionals should have a low threshold to ask directly about elder abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Gagnon
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandra Nadeau
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Quebec, QC, Canada
- VITAM-Centre de recherche en santé durable, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Katherine Tanguay
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Patrick M Archambault
- VITAM-Centre de recherche en santé durable, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système de santé apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière Appalaches, Lévis, QC, Canada
| | - Audrey-Anne Brousseau
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Faculté de médecine et sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbooke, QC, Canada
| | | | - Marcel Emond
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Quebec, QC, Canada
- VITAM-Centre de recherche en santé durable, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Francois Deshaies
- Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système de santé apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière Appalaches, Lévis, QC, Canada
| | - Axel Benhamed
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Service SAMU-Urgences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Édouard Herriot, Hopitaux Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Pierre-Gilles Blanchard
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Quebec, QC, Canada
- VITAM-Centre de recherche en santé durable, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Fabrice I Mowbray
- College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Eric Mercier
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Axe santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Quebec, QC, Canada.
- VITAM-Centre de recherche en santé durable, Quebec, QC, Canada.
- Département de médecine de famille et de médecine d'urgence, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.
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