2012 Volume 5 Issue 1 Pages 2-10
Purpose: To promote the prevention of abuse of the elderly, the dissemination of accurate knowledge and the cooperation among health and welfare professionals are essential. This study aimed to elucidate understanding of the Act on Prevention of Elderly Abuse and Support for Attendants of Elderly Persons and the awareness of elderly abuse management by care service facility staff. Methods: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 220 care service facility staff. The completed questionnaires were sealed in envelopes by the respondents themselves and collected in a way that protected the identity of respondents/non-respondents. Results: Of the 195 (88.6%) responses, 190 (86.4%) were treated as valid responses and analyzed. “Understanding of abuse” was significantly higher in subjects who had had an opportunity to study the Act on Prevention of Elderly Abuse than in those who had not. In addition, managerial staff had had significantly more “opportunities to learn about elderly abuse” than other staff. Conclusions: The subjects who had chance to learn about the Act on Prevention of Elderly Abuse also understood the types of abuse. It is considered necessary to establish a system in which not only managerial staff but also all other staff can attend training in the future.
