Karen A Roberto, Jyoti Savla, Pamela B Teaster, Brandy Renee McCann
{"title":"家庭关系和阿片类药物谎言:阿巴拉契亚农村老年人虐待的途径。","authors":"Karen A Roberto, Jyoti Savla, Pamela B Teaster, Brandy Renee McCann","doi":"10.1093/geroni/igaf029","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>The opioid crisis has run rampant throughout America, with communities in rural Appalachia especially hard hit. While the direct effects of opioid use disorder on individuals, families, and communities are well documented, an unforeseen consequence of this crisis is the abuse of older adults by family members or paid caregivers with opioid addiction. The purpose of this study was to characterize cases of opioid-involved elder abuse compared to cases where opioids were not involved.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>Guided by lifecourse and ecological perspectives, we analyzed quantitative case data and narrative notes for 220 substantiated incidences of abuse of persons aged 60+ that occurred between 2015 and 2017 in eastern Kentucky. Multinomial logistic regression analysis with robust standard errors was used to compare cases on key variables including the older adults' age, gender, income, activities of daily livings/instrumental activities of daily livings, and cognitive capacity. Composite narratives developed from thematic analysis of the case notes were used to contextualize opioid-involved elder abuse cases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found 25 opioid-involved cases of elder abuse and 15 cases in which the perpetrator used alcohol/other drugs. Compared to cases not involving substance abuse, women were more frequently victims of perpetrators who use opioids and alcohol/other drugs. Victims of opioid-involved abuse were more likely to experience material exploitation (stealing medication) than when perpetrators misused alcohol/other drugs or used no substances. A primary pathway to elder abuse was older adults taking in a family member due to various life circumstances. A second pathway to opioid-involved abuse was when older adults relied on the perpetrator for support and assistance.</p><p><strong>Discussion and implications: </strong>Opioid misuse by perpetrators heightened susceptibility to elder abuse. Older adults are often protective of their struggling families and may not recognize their own vulnerabilities. Interventions sensitive to cultural norms and close family relationships are needed to combat opioid-involved elder abuse.</p>","PeriodicalId":13596,"journal":{"name":"Innovation in Aging","volume":"9 6","pages":"igaf029"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12188430/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Family Ties and Opioid Lies: Pathways to Elder Abuse in Rural Appalachia.\",\"authors\":\"Karen A Roberto, Jyoti Savla, Pamela B Teaster, Brandy Renee McCann\",\"doi\":\"10.1093/geroni/igaf029\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>The opioid crisis has run rampant throughout America, with communities in rural Appalachia especially hard hit. While the direct effects of opioid use disorder on individuals, families, and communities are well documented, an unforeseen consequence of this crisis is the abuse of older adults by family members or paid caregivers with opioid addiction. The purpose of this study was to characterize cases of opioid-involved elder abuse compared to cases where opioids were not involved.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>Guided by lifecourse and ecological perspectives, we analyzed quantitative case data and narrative notes for 220 substantiated incidences of abuse of persons aged 60+ that occurred between 2015 and 2017 in eastern Kentucky. Multinomial logistic regression analysis with robust standard errors was used to compare cases on key variables including the older adults' age, gender, income, activities of daily livings/instrumental activities of daily livings, and cognitive capacity. Composite narratives developed from thematic analysis of the case notes were used to contextualize opioid-involved elder abuse cases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found 25 opioid-involved cases of elder abuse and 15 cases in which the perpetrator used alcohol/other drugs. Compared to cases not involving substance abuse, women were more frequently victims of perpetrators who use opioids and alcohol/other drugs. Victims of opioid-involved abuse were more likely to experience material exploitation (stealing medication) than when perpetrators misused alcohol/other drugs or used no substances. A primary pathway to elder abuse was older adults taking in a family member due to various life circumstances. A second pathway to opioid-involved abuse was when older adults relied on the perpetrator for support and assistance.</p><p><strong>Discussion and implications: </strong>Opioid misuse by perpetrators heightened susceptibility to elder abuse. Older adults are often protective of their struggling families and may not recognize their own vulnerabilities. Interventions sensitive to cultural norms and close family relationships are needed to combat opioid-involved elder abuse.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":13596,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Innovation in Aging\",\"volume\":\"9 6\",\"pages\":\"igaf029\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":4.9000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-03-11\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12188430/pdf/\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Innovation in Aging\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf029\",\"RegionNum\":3,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"2025/1/1 0:00:00\",\"PubModel\":\"eCollection\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Innovation in Aging","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf029","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Family Ties and Opioid Lies: Pathways to Elder Abuse in Rural Appalachia.
Background and objectives: The opioid crisis has run rampant throughout America, with communities in rural Appalachia especially hard hit. While the direct effects of opioid use disorder on individuals, families, and communities are well documented, an unforeseen consequence of this crisis is the abuse of older adults by family members or paid caregivers with opioid addiction. The purpose of this study was to characterize cases of opioid-involved elder abuse compared to cases where opioids were not involved.
Research design and methods: Guided by lifecourse and ecological perspectives, we analyzed quantitative case data and narrative notes for 220 substantiated incidences of abuse of persons aged 60+ that occurred between 2015 and 2017 in eastern Kentucky. Multinomial logistic regression analysis with robust standard errors was used to compare cases on key variables including the older adults' age, gender, income, activities of daily livings/instrumental activities of daily livings, and cognitive capacity. Composite narratives developed from thematic analysis of the case notes were used to contextualize opioid-involved elder abuse cases.
Results: We found 25 opioid-involved cases of elder abuse and 15 cases in which the perpetrator used alcohol/other drugs. Compared to cases not involving substance abuse, women were more frequently victims of perpetrators who use opioids and alcohol/other drugs. Victims of opioid-involved abuse were more likely to experience material exploitation (stealing medication) than when perpetrators misused alcohol/other drugs or used no substances. A primary pathway to elder abuse was older adults taking in a family member due to various life circumstances. A second pathway to opioid-involved abuse was when older adults relied on the perpetrator for support and assistance.
Discussion and implications: Opioid misuse by perpetrators heightened susceptibility to elder abuse. Older adults are often protective of their struggling families and may not recognize their own vulnerabilities. Interventions sensitive to cultural norms and close family relationships are needed to combat opioid-involved elder abuse.
期刊介绍:
Innovation in Aging, an interdisciplinary Open Access journal of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), is dedicated to publishing innovative, conceptually robust, and methodologically rigorous research focused on aging and the life course. The journal aims to present studies with the potential to significantly enhance the health, functionality, and overall well-being of older adults by translating scientific insights into practical applications. Research published in the journal spans a variety of settings, including community, clinical, and laboratory contexts, with a clear emphasis on issues that are directly pertinent to aging and the dynamics of life over time. The content of the journal mirrors the diverse research interests of GSA members and encompasses a range of study types. These include the validation of new conceptual or theoretical models, assessments of factors impacting the health and well-being of older adults, evaluations of interventions and policies, the implementation of groundbreaking research methodologies, interdisciplinary research that adapts concepts and methods from other fields to aging studies, and the use of modeling and simulations to understand factors and processes influencing aging outcomes. The journal welcomes contributions from scholars across various disciplines, such as technology, engineering, architecture, economics, business, law, political science, public policy, education, public health, social and psychological sciences, biomedical and health sciences, and the humanities and arts, reflecting a holistic approach to advancing knowledge in gerontology.