Associate Professor, Faculty of Rural Health and Sanitation, Gandhigram Rural Institute-Deemed University, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu
Online published on 30 December, 2015.
The elderly are often faced with associated problems due to various factors. This article examines a comprehensive understanding of elder abuse among rural elders. Data collected from 335 elders. Nearly three fourth of the respondents were young old with women constituted 57%. Majority of the respondents belonged to Hindu religion, widowed elders with low literacy level. Women living alone and working is more than men. The gender, age, educational level, and living arrangements have influence on the abuse faced by elderly where as health status and work participation does not have any influence. The disrespect was shown as the most prevalent type of elder abuse followed by financial, neglect, verbal and physical. The primary Perpetrator was the daughter-in-law in 58% cases with son in law as least abuser (7%). The reasons attributed for abuses were dependency, inability, illness, poverty and property distribution. More that 80% of these did not report the matter to any authority for uphold of family honour. There is a need to sensitize of family members especially children and strengthening of intergenerational bonding is the most effective mechanisms to tackle Elder Abuse.
