Identifying of elderly abuse by community nurses

Bibliogr. s. 209

Elderly abuse (including all forms like: physical, psychological, financial, abandonment and neglect), has been grown as a social problem in Polish society. Being involved in giving home care by community nurses give them ability to recognize the first signs of elderly abuse and to perform coping strategy in the face of recognized incidents. The aim of this research was to compare perception of different forms of elderly abuse by community and clinical nurses, and investigate its determinants. The study sample consisted of 67 community nurses and 117 clinical nurses. The research tool was the original questionnaire developed by research team of the Department of Medical Sociology at Jagiellonian University Medical College in Krakow. Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression model with use of IBM SPSS 19 for Windows. Analysis of results showed that neglect and self-neglect have been reported as a serious problem in everyday care less frequently by community nurses than by clinical nurses. They also more rarely recognized abandonment as a social problem in Poland. Risk of perception of an emotional abuse as a social problem in Poland associated with was significantly lower in nurses aged 40 years and over, whose professional career lasted longer than 20 years. Risk of assessment that neglect of older persons accompanied them in everyday care was supported by nurses with university education. Community nurses should receive special professional training in recognizing the elderly abuse.