Elder Abuse in Migrant Communities in Australia: A Scoping Review

Abstract

This scoping review aims to inform future social work research and practice on elder abuse among migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia. Social work practice is informed by a range of models of elder abuse, with limited evidence, and often fails to consider the norms related to older people’s cultural background. The authors followed Joanna Briggs Institute’s (JBI) guidelines to search 11 academic databases and government-related reports systematically. The final review included 27 documents. The findings show that elder abuse is an important issue in migrant communities. However, there is a lack of empirical research. The experiences of elder abuse were found to differ between cultural groups. Older migrants often hesitated to speak out and seek help due to stigma, fear, and uncertainty. The main risk factors included language barriers, intergenerational differences, social isolation, and poor access to services. The review indicated that protective factors and cultural influences require further investigation, while existing policies and support services lack cultural sensitivity. Culturally informed research is needed to improve social work practice, policies, and support services to assist older people experiencing abuse within individual migrant communities.IMPLICATIONS Policies and future research on elder abuse in diverse groups should prioritise understanding the influence of culture and protective factors.Social workers and service providers must be respectful of differences amongst cultures and practice with humility to develop knowledge and understanding of elder abuse in individual migrant communities.