They are Sending Us to Our Early Graves: Older People’s Accounts of Elder Abuse in Uganda

As the social impacts of globalization and urbanization continue to weaken families, older people are increasingly likely to suffer abuse and neglect. This qualitative study explored what older people perceived as the causes and consequences of abuse and the coping mechanisms they employed. A qualitative study design informed by in-depth semi-structured interviews was used to gather data from 33 older people. Nineteen women and 14 men ranging in age from 63 to 89 years were interviewed. The findings revealed loss of culture, family dislocation, chronological age, and a shortage of land for cultivation as the assumed causes of abuse in Uganda, with reported social, economic, and psychological effects. The findings further showed that victims of elder abuse in Uganda rely upon social support systems and income generation to survive. Social care professions are urged to adopt family- and community-centered approaches to deal with elder abuse in the country.