Published: August 20, 2022
Researchers: Gali H. Weissberger, Aaron C. Lim, Laura Mosqueda, Julie Schoen, Jenna Axelrod, Annie L. Nguyen, Kathleen H. Wilber, Richard S. Esquivel & S. Duke Han
Abstract:
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated circumstances that place older adults at higher risk for abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Identifying characteristics of elder abuse during COVID-19 is critically important. This study characterized and compared elder abuse patterns across two time periods, a one-year period during the pandemic, and a corresponding one-year period prior to the start of the pandemic.
Methods
Contacts (including social media contacts, and email; all referred to as “calls” for expediency) made to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) resource line were examined for differences in types of reported elder abuse and characteristics of alleged perpetrators prior to the pandemic (Time 1; March 16, 2018 to March 15, 2019) and during the pandemic (Time 2; March 16, 2020 to March 15, 2021). Calls were examined for whether or not abuse was reported, the types of reported elder abuse, including financial, physical, sexual, emotional,
BMC Geriatrics volume 22, Article number: 689 (2022) Cite this article