An Assessment of the Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Late adulthood is the stage of life in which individuals are known as the elderly.  This period in human life span is a dynamic phase of development with numerous and unique challenges, one of such is elder abuse. This study examines the social world of the elderly in a bid to ascertain if the elderly in our society are being abused and neglected.  Three hundred male and female persons over 65 years of age from three senatorial districts in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria were randomly selected and used for the study.  A structured questionnaire captioned:  Elder Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire (EANQ) and an Interview Schedule were developed and administered on the selected sample.  The data collected were analyzed using simple percentages, means, t-tests and analysis of variance.  Results indicates that incidence of abuse is prevalent in Akwa Ibom State.  The major forms of abuse were neglect, physical, financial/material and emotional/psychological abuse.  Causes of abuse were identified and strategies mapped out for intervention. It was found that females and elders with no formal education suffer more abuses than males and those with formal education.  Based on the findings, conclusions and recommendations have been proffered towards an improved social world for the elderly.

Keywords: Elder Abuse, Physical Abuse, Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Financial Abuse.