Domestic violence involving older persons: It's implication on health policy and program planning for older Filipinos

• Main Author: Evasco, Donna Lou Ramos
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2005
• Subjects: Family violence; Aged > Health and hygiene; Medical policy; Social work with the aged; Health planning
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3350
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study endeavored to describe the abuse experiences of fifteen (15) older persons in Cagayan de Oro City. It also assessed the perceptions of service providers of older people toward older person abuse. With the use of in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and document analysis, the study examined the following areas: 1) socioeconomic and demographic dimensions of older person abuse, 2) older peoples awareness of rights, 3) various aspects of the abuse experiences, and 4)services and resources for abused older people. Purposive sampling was used in choosing all the respondents. There were a total of fifteen(15) older person respondents, of these, ten (10) were community-based and five (5) were referred by the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) office and the Public Attorneys Office (PAO). Six (6) service providers were also included as key informants of this study. Frequency distribution and content analysis were utilized to analyze the data gathered. Findings indicated that many older people were unaware of their rights and the services and resources available for older people. Moreover, older person abuse remained an invisible problem due to limited reporting of cases and failure of service providers to recognize suspected cases and to intervene accordingly. Factors leading towards abuse were also identified and these are: poverty, history of violence in the family, caregiver stress and burden, substance abuse, poor health, impairment and disability, and lack of awareness of older people on their rights.