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Screening for elder abuse in dementia in the LASER-AD study: prevalence, correlates and validation of instruments

Cooper, Claudia, Manela, Monica, Katona, Cornelius, Livingston, Gill (2008) Screening for elder abuse in dementia in the LASER-AD study: prevalence, correlates and validation of instruments. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23 (3). pp. 283-288. ISSN 0885-6230. (doi:10.1002/gps.1875) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:12086)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/gps.1875

Abstract

Background Several studies have investigated abusive behaviour by carers towards people with dementia, most using unvalidated scales; only two reported correlates of abuse after controlling for mediators and confounders, and these controlled for different factors. Objective To investigate the acceptability and validity of the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale (MCTS) and abuse correlates. Methods Eighty-six people with Alzheimer's disease and their family carers, originally recruited for a representative community study were interviewed. We asked carers about acceptability of the MCTS and investigated its validity by comparing scores to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) abuse screen (an objective measure) and testing hypotheses that MCTS score would correlate with the COPE dysfunctional coping scale but not carer education. Results Twenty-four (27.9%) were identified as abuse cases by interview. No care recipients (CRs) screened positive for abuse using the MDS screen. Seventy-two (83.7%) participants thought that the scale was acceptable, ten (11.6%) that it was neither acceptable nor unacceptable, and three (3.5%) that it was unacceptable. As hypothesised, MCTS scores correlated with dysfunctional coping scale score but not carer education. Conclusions This is the most comprehensive study so far in this field. The MCTS was acceptable and had convergent and discriminant validity for measuring carer abuse. The MDS failed to identify cases of abuse. Carer male gender and burden, and greater CR irritability, cognitive impairment but less functional impairment predicted carer abusive behaviour. Our findings appear to refute UK government elder abuse reduction policy which assumes that few incidents of abuse arise from carer stress.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1002/gps.1875
Additional information: Research Article
Uncontrolled keywords: dementia carer elder abuse screening
Subjects: R Medicine
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: M.P. Stone
Date Deposited: 27 Mar 2009 16:24 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:50 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/12086 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Katona, Cornelius.

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