Developing a Comprehensive Understanding of Older Person Abuse in Canadian Immigrant Communities: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Older immigrants represent 28% of the Canadian population who are over the age of 60. World-wide 1 in 6 older persons experiences abuse. Due to population aging, attention must be paid to the abuse and victimization of older immigrant persons, and the concept of elder abuse. The purpose of this integrative review was to understand elder abuse from the perspective of older immigrants, who came to Canada in their 60s or older as dependents of families or sponsors. Whittemore and Knafl’s (2005) method of review resulted in six articles that met the inclusion criteria. Results revealed three themes: conceptualization of abuse, post-immigration stressors and cultural factors, and barriers to access support and protection. The perpetrators were often close family members including intimate partners, spouses, children, children-in-laws and grandchildren. Contextual factors that influenced abuse included: power imbalance, change in social status from head of the families to legal and financial dependents due to immigration, culture, ethnicity, gender role expectations and language barrier. More research is needed to understand the diverse older immigrants experiences of elder abuse.