Profile of care for violence against the elderly in urgency and emergency services: Viva analysis survey 2017

Abstract

Objectives: To characterize the profile of violent events among the elderly and to investigate the association between demographic factors and characteristics of violence. Methods: Cross-sectional study using data from the Violence and Accidents Survey (VIVA Survey) conducted at the emergency services in 2017. Descriptive analys es of the characteristics of violence were performed, according to demographic factors, followed by the correspondence analysis, using the main characteristics listed in this group, and considering p < 0.05. Results: Among the studied victims, most were male; the most common type of violence was physical, the most frequently body part affected was the head, the main places of occurrence were home and the public area, and, most often, the perpetrator was unknown. The fact of the aggressor being the victim’s partner was associated with violence among the female elderly, as well as the use of threats. At the same time, violence among the male elderly was associated to being assaulted in the street, by strangers, including thorax injuries and the use of sharp objects. Y ounger elders have suffered physical aggression mostly through strength/ beating, inflicted by friends and reaching the upper limbs. Among the older elders, the negligence was more related to the household as the location where the violence occurred, aggression perpetrated by relatives, and violence affecting the lower limbs and multiple organs were related to negligence. Conclusion: The study led to insights about the violence suffered by the elderly patients attending urgency and emergency services in Brazil. Knowing the victims’ profile is important for directing policies and actions that aim at preventing and addressing the problem of violence against the elderly.