Elder Abuse Prevention in Brazil, Norway and Slovakia: a Narrative Review

Abstract

With the global population ageing, concerns about the incidence, prevalence and prevention of elder abuse have become increasingly pertinent. This study presents a narrative review of empirical research, investigating the elder abuse prevention implemented in public health policies in three selected countries. The narrative review aims to enrich academic critical discussion about the theme and provide insights for policymakers and professional practitioners working towards elder abuse prevention across different regions. Searches in the electronic database CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases were performed to identify and synthesise studies reporting on research aimed at investigating elder abuse prevention. The studies that handle on all prevention levels, had to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, report on empirical research, and are available in full text in Portuguese, Slovak, English or Norwegian and published within a ten-year period (2012 to 2022) were included. A total of 981 studies were retrieved, of which 13 papers met the inclusion criteria for this narrative review. The evidence indicated that proactive approach within primordial and primary prevention, interdisciplinary cooperation within primary and secondary prevention, and education for healthcare professionals within all forms of prevention were implemented to various extent as elder abuse prevention in Brazil, Norway and Slovakia. There is a need to further enhance public awareness of elder abuse through campaigns and advocacy programs; additionally, the routine screening and assessments by healthcare providers for early detection and intervention in suspected abuse cases require improvement; and also, legal and health policy measures must be updated regularly. Elder abuse prevention should be a collective undertaking involving community leaders, healthcare providers, and governmental and non-governmental organisations.