Elder abuse is recognized as international societal problem. The definition of elder abuse adapted by the WHO (World Health Organization) states that ”Elder abuse is a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm och distress to an older person”. Elder abuse includes different acts such as physical-, emotional-, sexual- and financial abuse as well as neglect. Abusive experience among older adults is associated with ill-health but is often overlooked in health care. Persons with major neurocognitive disorder (dementia) are at higher risk of abuse, but little attention has been given in research to understand such abuse, especially self-reported abuse.
The overall aim of my thesis is to gain a better understanding of abuse against persons with cognitive disorder. Specifically, I will investigate how abuse can be detected (study I), explore experiences of ongoing elder abuse (study II) and abusive experiences from earlier in life (study III) as well as study its prevalence and association to BPSD (behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (study IV). Throughout the project, I will especially highlight the first-hand information about abusive experience from the persons with cognitive disorder themselves integrated with perspectives from the next of kin.
The overall aim of my thesis is to gain a better understanding of abuse against persons with cognitive disorder. Specifically, I will investigate how abuse can be detected (study I), explore experiences of ongoing elder abuse (study II) and abusive experiences from earlier in life (study III) as well as study its prevalence and association to BPSD (behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (study IV). Throughout the project, I will especially highlight the first-hand information about abusive experience from the persons with cognitive disorder themselves integrated with perspectives from the next of kin.