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Elder abuse awareness in faith communities: findings from a Canadian pilot study
- Authors:
- PODNIEKS Elizabeth, WILSON Sue
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 15(3/4), 2003, pp.121-135.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Faith communities can play a critical role in the prevention of elder abuse and neglect by fostering heightened public awareness of elder mistreatment, as well as providing services to abused elders in the community. Faith leaders are among the most likely groups of caregivers to encounter cases of elder abuse, but unfortunately not all are aware of ways of identifying and effectively dealing with abuse. Religious leaders require training to educate them about elder abuse issues to identify the important roles they can play in prevention, intervention and treatment. Pastoral workers and theology students should also be exposed to educational concepts regarding this problem. In an age of ecumenism and interfaith movements, religious leaders must become a conduit for the well-being and safety of older adults. This paper discusses exploratory work undertaken in Ontario, funded by Health Canada (Ontario Region), the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and Justice Canada to begin to uncover the extent to which faith leaders are aware of instances of elder abuse, and what they might see as their role in addressing such problems in their faith communities. A thorough literature review suggests that while considerable attention has been paid to the issue of elder abuse, researchers have not focused on the role of faith leaders in addressing this complex problem. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)
An exploratory study of responses to elder abuse in faith communities
- Authors:
- PODNIEKS Elizabeth, WILSON Sue
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 15(3/4), 2003, pp.137-161.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study, conducted by Ryerson University, The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Older Women's Network, and the Centre for Applied Research (Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto) examines faith leaders' perceptions of elder abuse, the actions taken by them in response to suspected or disclosed situations of elder abuse, and their knowledge and understanding of resources and services available for elder abuse intervention. Survey data was collected using an instrument that contained both open and closed-ended questions. The results of the study revealed that two-thirds of the clergy interviewed knew of, or suspected elder mistreatment among their parishioners. Faith leaders identified lack of education about elder mistreatment, lack of knowledge and/or skill in intervention techniques and confidentiality issues as barriers to responding effectively to the abuse of elders. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)