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A Global Response to Elder Abuse Including Neglect: Building Primary Health Care Capacity to Deal with the Problem World-Wide

Annual Call for Projects 2003

Summary

With the support of the Geneva International Academic Network (GIAN), the Ageing and Life Course unit of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of Geneva Interfaculty Gerontology Centre (CIG-UNIGE), in association with institutions in eight other countries, are collaborating on a research project aimed at tackling a substantial, yet hidden societal problem: elder abuse. The aims of the project are:

1. To develop and validate universal and reliable screening tools to facilitate the detection of elder abuse cases by primary health care professionals.

2. To build the capacity of primary health care workers to deal with elder abuse through evidence based education for the development of prevention strategies.

This research project builds on an international study conducted by WHO in collaboration with the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) and HelpAge International (HAI) in 2001-2002. That study focused on views and perceptions of older persons and of primary health care professionals on elder abuse through focus groups in eight countries. The resulting publication Missing Voices - Views of Older Persons on Elder Abuse has been widely disseminated and was presented at numerous international conferences. The current project takes into consideration the recommendations outlined in that document and its ongoing follow-up activities. It also follows the principles and perspectives expressed in the WHO Toronto Declaration for the Prevention of Elder Abuse launched in November 2002 at the Ontario Elder Abuse Conference.

This project responds to the recommendations of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing 2002 (MIPAA), which was the principal outcome of the Second UN World Assembly on Ageing that took place in Madrid in April 2002. The MIPAA strongly recommended more emphasis on elder abuse prevention and management through the adoption of multi-sectorial, interdisciplinary, community-based approaches.

Finally, the approach of this project reflects the WHO policy framework on "Active Ageing" which recognised elder abuse as one of the urgent challenges facing societies worldwide. A focus on primary health care settings was chosen as it is within the primary health care context that elder abuse can be first identified - or overlooked altogether. Making primary health care workers aware of the problem and increasing their capacity to deal with it are therefore crucial steps in preventing and managing elder abuse. While primary health care workers are the main focus of the study, the project incorporates important references to carers (both formal and informal) as well as to social workers and to legal systems, reflecting the true multi-sectorial nature of both the problem and the interventions needed to respond to it.

The project will develop three main products: 1) a training module aimed at raising awareness and detecting elder abuse at the community level; 2) screening and assessment tools for primary health care workers to recognise and respond to incidences of elder abuse; and 3) a final report with the conclusions of the research and recommendations for further action with special emphasis on appropriate interventions.

Following two months of preparatory work, the project is to formally start with a workshop in which all members of the scientific steering committee will participate. The workshop, to take place in Geneva, will establish a standardised protocol in which sampling, methodology and analysis will be included. The participants will thoroughly discuss the elder abuse screening tool designed by the WHO/INPEA partnership, and compare it with other tools that have recently been designed by the University of Geneva Interfaculty Gerontology Centre, as well as with the ones under development in Canada and Spain. Taking into consideration the results of the workshop, the planned activities include:

• Review of other existing tools and training materials in several languages;

• Development of a universal screening tool and a basic training module; translation into/from languages of the participating countries;

• Piloting of the products in at least 8 countries through a network of institutions (governmental, academic and NGOs) and the involvement of WHO offices;

• Analysis of the data emerging from the first pilot studies;

• Evaluation and formulation of recommendations for interventions;

• Publication of the tools for wide dissemination.

The grant provided by the GIAN for this project totals SFr 299,600

> See shorter summary

Project Team

Prof. Charles-Henri Rapin , Principal Member, Inter-Faculty Center for Gerontology , University of Geneva (Unige) .

Dr. Antonio Yuste , Principal Member, Spanish Society of Geriatry and Gerontology, Madrid .

Dr. Raul Blanco Cervantes , Associated Member, National Hospital of Geriatry and Gerontology, Municipality of San Jose , Costa Rica.

Ms Susana Concordo , Associated Member, Tsao foundation, Singapore .

Ms Terezinha Da Silva , Associated Member, Centre for Legal and Judicial Training, Mozambic.

Prof. Mark S. Lachs , Associated Member, Weill Medical College , Cornell University, New York .

Ms Maxine Lithwick , Associated Member, , Canada .

Ms Laura Machado , Associated Member, City of Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil .

Dr. Fernando Morales-Martinez , Associated Member, National Hospital of Geriatry and Gerontology, Municipality of San Jose , Costa Rica.

Ms Bridget Penhale , Associated Member, The University of Sheffield .

Ms Mayte Sancho Castiello , Associated Member, Academic Organisations.

Ms Amleset Tewodros , Associated Member, Academic Organisations.

Related Links

> Order book , Order book online on the WHO website.

Related News

Related Conferences

Elder Abuse - Press Conference 30.11.2005
A Global Response to Elder Abuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Geneva International Academic Network...
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Research Output

A Global Response to Elder Abuse and Neglect: Building Primary Health Care Capacity to Deal with the Problem Worldwide: Main Report
(available in English only)
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