Elderly abuse in the municipality of Chilcuautla, Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

Introduction: The percentage of older adults aged 60 years and older has increased significantly both globally and nationally. However, this increase has led to an increase in mistreatment, and it is crucial to understand how this impacts quality of life. Objective: To determine elder abuse in the municipality of Chilcuautla, Hidalgo. Methodology: Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study. This study was carried out on 301 older adults through non-probabilistic sampling, who were residents of the municipality, were aware of the abuse and were affected by any type of abuse, excluding those who for any reason dropped out of the study. A questionnaire with sociodemographic data and the Geriatric Scale of Elderly Abuse was used; after informed consent, the Declaration of Helsinki and the General Health Law on Research were followed. Data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. Results: 53.2% were women and 46.8% were men. The prevalence of abuse was 44.2% in older adults for at least one type of abuse. The types of abuse were psychological, 21.3 %, physical, 8.6 %, financial, 6.3 %, neglect, 6.3 %, and sexual, 1.7 %. Conclusion: This study determined that abuse did indeed occur among older adults in the municipality of Chilcuautla. It is believed that it could serve as a basis for future research in diverse populations and regions, and could even help nursing staff implement individualized care interventions for each individual.