Domestic Elder Abuse: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Abused Elders in Dangila Town Administration, Ethiopia
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Date
2014-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Culturally, elder abuse in Ethiopia is not perceived as a serious problem. In
Ethiopia, there are no data on the extent or types of elder abuse. To increase
understanding of the issue, a phenomenological study was conducted based on the lived
experiences of 15 elders (9 women, 6 men) in Ethiopia who experienced domestic abuse.
Data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Extreme poverty was
evident. Some elders owned only one outfit and shared a hut with a single bug-infested
room and no electricity with multiple family members. Meals may be only bread and
coffee. Poverty, conflicts of interest, physical and health conditions, death or migration of
support providers, old age, disengagement from work, physical appearance of elders,
shift of family values, dependency, family size, living arrangements, powerlessness,
drunkenness, and sexual impotency were conditions contributing to the risk of elder
abuse.
Elders experienced psychological, financial and physical abuse and neglect at the
hands of caregivers, spouses, children, grandchildren, in-laws, nephews, housemaids,
friends, neighbours, and employees. Abused elders suffered from loss of property, poor
living conditions, hunger, diseases, denial of privacy and rights, low self-esteem,
hopelessness, fear, shame, anxiety, inferiority, isolation, depression, hatred, stigma,
remorse, and grief. One elder stated, “Life is meaningless without food and without a
caregiver. I am ready to welcome death.” Elders responded to abuse through praying,
using holy water, forgiveness, silence, tolerance, sharing feelings, criticism, improving
money management, begging, accusing abusers, crying, and suicide attempts.
Documentation of elder abuse in Ethiopia and sharing abuse stories may contribute to
the recognition of abuse as a problem deserving public attention and response
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Social Work