Perspectives of elder abuse in Lebanon.

Abstract

Elder abuse is a preventable problem. Presently, little is known about this phenomenon in Middle Eastern settings. The purpose of this study was to explore elder abuse in Beirut, Lebanon from different stakeholders' points of view with a focus on identifying behaviors that are considered to be abusive to older adults and predisposing factors. Focus group discussions were carried out with 88 home- and institution-based older adults, their family members and caregivers, and with 49 stakeholders (medical professionals, institution directors, government officials). Results showed that behaviors considered abusive among Lebanese participants were comparable to reports from international studies. The most commonly mentioned risk factors were history of abuse in a seemingly dysfunctional family followed by caregivers' lack of acceptance of the physical changes that accompany aging. The response to elder abuse requires a multidimensional approach that spans protective policies to increase care providers' awareness about the physiologic changes of aging as well as concerted efforts to correct misinformation about the hidden problem of elder abuse.