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During the last decades, elder abuse has become a recognized form of violence, both in domestic and institutional settings, affecting all social classes and socioeconomic milieus, spanning all cultures and nationalities. However, outside of Anglophone countries, the amount of literature found on the topic is relatively small. And, there is little evidence as to whether or not the findings from English-speaking societies can be applied to other settings. This literature review describes a body of work comprising fourty-five articles that applies a cross-cultural analysis to elder abuse. In common with other topics related to violence, elder abuse is a very sensitive area which can be differently interpreted depending on the cultural context in which it occurs. An international and intercultural perspective on the topic can help to shed light on effective and culturally sensitive ways to fight elder abuse. Moreover, authors' professional backgrounds seem to influence how elder abuse is viewed. This review presents various thematic categories that appear and repeat themselves in articles regardless of their regional background while bringing out cultural specificities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Interdisciplinary Gerontology/University of Geneva (CIG/UNIGE), in association with institutions in eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Kenya, Singapore, Spain and Switzerland), formed a joint research programme aimed at tackling a substantial and yet hidden social problem: elder abuse and neglect. The foundations of the study were provided by the ground-breaking work conducted by a multidisciplinary and inter-institutional team from Montreal. The project objectives are: To develop and validate a reliable instrument applicable in different geographical and cultural contexts in order to increase awareness among PHC professionals to the problem of elder abuse and neglect. To build the capacity of PHC workers to deal with elder abuse and neglect through evidence-based education for the development of prevention strategies. The original project outline comprised the development and validation of a universal routine screening tool to facilitate the detection of elder abuse and neglect among PHC professionals. Consultations with experts and advisers during the initiation phase of the project, however, have indicated that it is critical to apply the concept of an elder abuse screening tool in the field of PHC; elder abuse involves psychosocial moments of stress not only for the patients but also for the PHC professionals, who are currently not equipped well enough with follow-up strategies. It was considered more appropriate to ultimately develop a tool that helps raise awareness about the issue of elder mistreatment among the PHC professionals and sensitizes them in dealing with potential abuse cases. Therefore, the goal of the WHO-CIG study is to provide an instrument to detect suspicions of elder abuse modelled on the Elder Abuse Suspicion Index (EASI), a questionnaire previously developed and tested in Montreal. Elder abuse and its detection are challenging and highly sensitive issues that need a linguistically and culturally specified approach and vocabulary. Consequently, the creation of a “universal” tool implies global testing. The first step was the qualitative testing of a set of questions, which led to the Montreal EASI, in the eight participating countries mentioned above. Further action such as the piloting of the tool in clinical settings and the expansion of the range of participating countries will be the basis for future studies. The results of the study confirm that in the opinion of the older people involved and, in particular, of the PHC professionals, the provision of a short instrument covering key dimensions of elder abuse might be a critical step in preventing and detecting such abuse. According to such results, however, a universal instrument applicable to all cultural and geographical contexts has not yet been developed; the appropriateness of its content and wording vary, depending on the setting. Nevertheless, the study participants believe that it is essential to equip PHC professionals with a set of questions to serve as a starting point in raising awareness about elder abuse.

Le colloque international «CANICULE 04 / HEAT WAVE 04», qui s'est déroulé le 8 et 9 juin 2004 à Genève, s'est proposé comme objectif de tirer les leçons de l'été 2003, pour éviter autant que possible les drames du dernier juillet et août. La canicule de 2003 tua environ 25'000 personnes en Europe, et la plupart des victimes étaient des personnes fragiles, dont particulièrement les personnes âgées. Des professionnels de la météo, de la politique, des responsables de santé, des professionnels du terrain, que ce soit aux urgences, aux domiciles ou aux institutions, ainsi que des représentants de personnes âgées, ont discuté et présenté leurs perspectives, interprétations et conseils à propos du sujet pour trouver ensemble un plan simple pour les futures canicules. Un but additionnel était d'approfondir la collaboration interdisciplinaire entre les professionnels. Par ailleurs, les participants ont souligné la nécessité d'informer la population sur les effets liés aux fortes chaleurs, ainsi que sur les possibilités de prévention des dangers associés.

La maltraitance des personnes âgées -- y compris l'omniprésente question de la négligence -- est un problème sociétal et de santé publique majeur. Elle peut revêtir plusieurs formes: physique, psychologique/émotionnelle, sexuelle, financière. En tout état de cause, elle représente une violation des Droits Humains et une cause significative de blessures, maladies, perte de productivité, isolation et désespoir.