The Prevalence of Elder Abuse in Iowa

Abstract

The prevalence of abuse of the elderly in the state of Iowa, as well as the nature and characteristics of the abused and their abusers was investigated. The sample included 500 randomly selected heads of household age 65 years old and older residing in the state of Iowa. They were mailed an elder abuse survey designed by the researcher. The response rate was 80.8%. The majority of respondents were 65-to-74-year-old urban-dwelling males that were living with a spouse and had no impairments. None of the respondents reported being a victim of abuse. Slightly over 2% of the respondents reported 16 cases of abuse of elderly acquaintances. The majority of elders reported as being abused were impaired females. Support was provided for the dependency theory as a cause for elder abuse. Suggestions for further research and implications are discussed.