Abstract
Objectives
Resident-to-resident elder mistreatment (R-REM) between residents living in residential
aged care (RAC) services is a challenging issue in relation to the care of older people.
Evidence suggests that R-REM, such as verbal, physical, and sexual conflict between
residents, is a common and pervasive issue. This review examines the frequency with
which R-REM occurs in RAC services; identifies the types of R-REM that occur; and
provides an overview of the reported characteristics of both the victim and perpetrator
involved in the R-REM event.
Design
A systematic review was conducted. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO,
Ageline, and Cochrane Library to identify qualitative and quantitative studies published
in the English language.
Setting and Participants
Residents living in RAC services.
Measures
Data on frequency and characteristics were collated, and aggregate proportions were
calculated where possible.
Results
Twenty-six studies were identified; most (n = 20) were published in the United States.
The overall proportion of residents engaged in R-REM was provided by 7 quantitative
studies with the estimated frequency reported to be 12% to 23%. For qualitative studies,
the number of care staff reporting to have observed R-REM ranged from 18.7% to 98.0%.
Physical and verbal abuse were the most commonly reported types of mistreatment. Characteristics
of the perpetrator of R-REM were reported in 12 (46.2%) studies. Overall, the mean
age of perpetrators was 80.93 years, most were men (83.2%), and 64.4% had dementia
and/or Alzheimer diagnosis. Characteristics of the victim and the history of R-REM
were largely omitted from the published studies.
Conclusion and Implications
The findings from the review broaden understanding on the extent of R-REM; the individual
and event characteristics and ultimately support care planning, policy, and direction
for future research. To improve understanding, quality of care, and RAC residents’
well-being, further studies are recommended to address the identified gaps in knowledge.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 13, 2021
Footnotes
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
This research was funded by Ballarat Health Services. The funder did not contribute to or influence the findings or conclusions.
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
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August 18, 2021
August 2021 Issue: Nursing Home Quality / Resident-to-Resident Mistreatment / POLST / LTACHs
Featuring Dr. Philip Sloane, Dr. Mallory Brown; Recorded: August 20, 2021.
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/download/k8ppmd/aug2021final.mp3
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