Creating conducive spaces for elder abuse interventions: perceptions of health-care professionals

Elder abuse has devastating consequences on the health, mental health and well-being of older people. Although evidence gathered from research data and the media shows increasing instances of elder abuse in the country, there is a dearth of trained workforce in gerontology. The few courses that attempt to train people to work with the elderly at various levels do not cover the gamut of issues affecting seniors’ lives. Considering the paucity of services for elder care, it is therefore crucial to identify ways and means to train existing professionals (like counsellors, doctors and social workers) who meet older people face to face in different contexts. It is hence important to understand their perceptions of elder abuse and the role they currently play to mitigate it. Qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews with counsellors, social workers and doctors reveal the importance of investing in the capacity building of existing professionals for identification, screening and referral systems necessary for intervention. The chapter concludes with certain recommendations and suggests strategies to build mechanisms for creating conducive spaces for the elderly within the existing system.