The effectiveness of mediation for older people at risk of or experiencing abuse

• Published date: 01 March 2021
• Author: Jennifer Martin,Susan Roberts
• Date: 01 March 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21294

RESEARCH ARTICLE

The effectiveness of mediation for older

people at risk of or experiencing abuse

Jennifer Martin | Susan Roberts

Social Innovation Research Institute,

Swinburne University, Melbourne,

Victoria, Australia

Correspondence

Jennifer Martin Professor of Social Work

Swinburne University John Street,

Hawthorn, VIC, Australia 3122, H31PO

Box 218.

Email: jmmartin@swin.edu.au

Abstract

This study seeks to identify the effectiveness of media-

tion interventions for older people at risk of, or

experiencing elder abuse. The study sought evidence to

address the critical question of: How effective is media-

tion for older people at risk of, or experiencing elder

abuse? In answering this, question common themes

and gaps in the literature were identified in studies of

mediation and elder abuse. There was only one study

focused specifically on mediation and elder abuse. This

study found that mediation is effective in preventing or

stopping financial abuse of older people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, globally, slightly under 16% of older

adults, 60 years and above, are abused. This figure is considered to be an underestimate due to

underreporting of elder abuse cases (WHO, 2016, 2019) and the difficulty in the detection of

elder abuse (McCarthy, Campbell, & Penhale, 2017). Due to rapidly aging populations in many

countries, this number is likely to increase, with limited systems in place to respond. Urgent

public health and social care action is needed to provide protection and safety and uphold the

rights of our elders. According to the WHO (2016), more research is required on risk, outcomes

of abuse of older people, and possible solutions, especially for older people who do not live in

high-income countries. The aim of this scoping review of the literature is to gather as much evi-

dence as possible from the existing global literature on the effectiveness of mediation for older

people at risk of, or experiencing, abuse.

1|BACKGROUND

Older people with dementia, multiple health problems, and physical and cognitive impairment

who are socially isolated and from cultural minority groups experience higher levels of abuse

alongside greater use of health services, especially emergency departments (Burnes, Rizzo,

Received: 15 August 2020 Revised: 17 December 2020 Accepted: 18 December 2020

DOI: 10.1002/crq.21294

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