Vulnerable Groups in Canada

Elder abuse is a global issue, with an estimated 4–10% of older persons in Canada abused each year. Although Canadian legislation has been created to prevent and punish the abuse of older persons living in nursing homes and other care facilities, incidence remains high. Wilson, D. M., Ratajewicz, S. E., Els, C., & Asirifi, M. A. (2011). Evidence-based approaches to remedy and also to prevent abuse of community-dwelling older persons. Nursing research and practice, 2011, 861484. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/861484

Study; To determine family physicians' perceptions of barriers and strategies in the effective detection and appropriate management of abused elderly people. Krueger, P., & Patterson, C. (1997). Detecting and managing elder abuse: challenges in primary care. The Research Subcommittee of the Elder Abuse and Self-Neglect Task Force of Hamilton-Wentworth. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 157(8), 1095–1100.

Elder abuse in long-term care is an important public health concern with social,health-related, and economic implications. Staff-to-resident abuse is of particular interest since institutions should protect residents’ rights and prevent harm. Hirt, J., Adlbrecht, L., Heinrich, S., & Zeller, A. (2022). Staff-to-resident abuse in nursing homes: a scoping review. BMC geriatrics, 22(1), 563. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03243-9

Study; A recent study has shown that close to one in six older adults have experienced elder abuse in a community setting in the past year. It is thought that abuse in institutions is just as prevalent. Yon, Y., Ramiro-Gonzalez, M., Mikton, C. R., Huber, M., & Sethi, D. (2019). The prevalence of elder abuse in institutional settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European journal of public health, 29(1), 58–67. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cky093

To discuss what constitutes elder abuse, why family physicians should be aware of it, what signs and symptoms might suggest mistreatment of older adults, how the Elder Abuse Suspicion Index might help in identification of abuse, and what options exist. Yaffe, M. J., & Tazkarji, B. (2012). Understanding elder abuse in family practice. Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien, 58(12), 1336–e698.

Study; Elder abuse is a significant concern worldwide. Several factors are reported to increase the risk for elder abuse, but little is known about which factors are most relevant to immigrant communities. This study explored perceptions of risk factors for immigrants in Toronto. Guruge, S., Sidani, S., Man, G., Matsuoka, A., Kanthasamy, P., & Leung, E. (2021). Elder abuse risk factors: Perceptions among older Chinese, Korean, Punjabi, and Tamil immigrants in Toronto. Journal of migration and health, 4, 100059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2021.100059

Intervention Study; A framework of social inclusion can promote equity and aid in preventing and addressing the abuse of older adults. Studies objective was to build a social inclusion framework for a comprehensive hospital-based elder abuse intervention being developed. Du Mont, J., Kosa, S. D., Kia, H., Spencer, C., Yaffe, M., & Macdonald, S. (2020). Development and evaluation of a social inclusion framework for a comprehensive hospital-based elder abuse intervention. PloS one, 15(6), e0234195. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234195

Review; The goal of this review is to discuss the state-of-the-science in elder abuse prevention. Findings from evidence-based programs to reduce elder abuse are discussed, drawing from findings and insights from evidence-based programs for child maltreatment. Teresi, J. A., Burnes, D., Skowron, E. A., Dutton, M. A., Mosqueda, L., Lachs, M. S., & Pillemer, K. (2016). State of the science on prevention of elder abuse and lessons learned from child abuse and domestic violence prevention: Toward a conceptual framework for research. Journal of elder abuse & neglect, 28(4-5), 263–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/08946566.2016.1240053

One of the most underreported crimes in Canada, elder abuse effects hundreds of thousands of people each year. Right at Home. (n.d.). 10 Things Every Canadian Should Know About Elder Abuse - Right at Home Canada. Right at Home Canada - In Home Care & Assistance. https://www.rightathomecanada.com/blog/10-things-every-canadian-should-know-about-elder-abuse

Video; CBC Marketplace's new data analysis reveals 85 per cent of all Ontario nursing homes have broken the law repeatedly with almost no consequences — for abuse, neglect, medication errors and much more. This special hidden camera investigation features shocking video inside homes, a rare interview with a former nursing home inspector and our fight for answers. CBC News. (2020, October 24). Are nursing homes above the law? Exposing repeat offenders (Marketplace) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1oRl1ZGt8k

Video; A rise in abuse is one of Canada's many problems when it comes to senior care. From 2011 to 2016 there was a 148 per cent increase in reported incidents of abuse in Ontario long-term care homes. On average in 2016 six seniors were abused every day. That level of abuse is just one of the wide range of problems with elder care in Canada and there are growing calls for accountability on those issues. CBC News; The National. (2018, January 19). Abuse: One of Canada’s many senior care problems [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjiwhrgosEU

Website; Experts examine the transitions into and out of poverty and the extent to which individuals in particular groups are more vulnerable than others. Fang, T., & Gunderson, M. (2022, April 14). Poverty Dynamics among Vulnerable Groups in Canada. Institute for Research on Public Policy. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://irpp.org/research-studies/poverty-dynamics-among-vulnerable-groups-in-canada/