Research summary
Elder abuse can range from physical, sexual and emotional abuse to issues like neglect, abandonment, and financial exploitation. It is a problem that causes major health and psychosocial consequences for seniors. Yet despite this, our knowledge of effective community-based prevention strategies remains limited.
Dr. David Burnes, Canada Research Chair in Older Adult Mistreatment Prevention, is developing effective community-based strategies to prevent elder abuse. He and his research team are focusing on two areas of research. One involves advancing the knowledge of risk factors for elder abuse. The other involves developing and evaluating responses to elder abuse, including interventions and practices. Ultimately, Burnes and his team aim to address limitations in this research area and advance knowledge.