The Problems of Dealing with Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly: Interviews with District Nurses

Abstract

To discover how district nurses handled cases of elder abuse, 23 Swedish district nurses were interviewed. District nurses reported that their dealing with abusive families was like walking a fine line and that they had an overwhelming feeling of ambiguity. They experienced conflicting feelings and questions: Should they approach the families or not? did abuse really occur or not? and finally, should they intervene or not? In relation to these conflicts, the district nurses experienced powerlessness, and some of them decided to "stay with" the elderly person and comfort them instead of confronting the family. The rational idea behind this decision was described as obtaining and keeping the family's trust. Thus it seems urgent to counsel district nurses dealing with an abusive family and also to offer them the necessary education and support.

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