Citation

Ramsey-Klawsnik H. J. Elder Abuse Negl. 2017; 29(5): 299-312.

Affiliation

National Adult Protective Services Association , Washington , DC.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/08946566.2017.1388019

PMID

28990880

Abstract

In contrast to work within the child abuse field, polyvictimization of older adults did not become a focus of professional attention until this decade. Despite this lack of formal identification, a search of the research and practice literature revealed that prior research investigating single forms of or other elder abuse issues contained evidence of what was variously termed "multiple," "multi-faceted," "co-occurring," or "hybrid" elder abuse. A wide range of victims (1.4% to 89.7%) identified in existing elder abuse studies was found to have experienced what constitutes "polyvictimization." This late life polyvictimization evidence, the contexts in which victims are harmed, and information regarding the impact of multi-faceted elder abuse are presented and discussed in this article. Selected published cases illustrate clinical dynamics operating in late life polyvictimization situations.

Language: en

Keywords

Elder abuse; cascading abuse; impact of polyvictimization; late life polyvictimization; polyabuse