Defining and Measuring Elder Abuse and Neglect – Preparatory Work Required to Measure the Prevalence of Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults in Canada (2010-2012)
Principal Investigator: Lynn McDonald, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Funded by: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HSRDC)
Despite Canadian and international research efforts, the elder mistreatment enterprise is awash in definitional difficulties (Walsh, 2008). The overarching goal of this proposal is to address the main problems associated with the conceptual definitions and measurement of mistreatment of older adults; the difficulties on the theoretical front, the current challenges associated with identifying risk factors for abuse and neglect and the issues surrounding the collection of reliable and valid data related to the prevalence of abuse and neglect - all of which must be done with a sensitive and respectful manner. There are five related mini research projects contained in the proposal that progressively build on each other, each with its own overarching goal and a varying number of objectives. The project will contribute to the production of accurate and valid information and about mistreatment of older adults across a continuum of care contexts.