Elder neglect in patients with frequent emergency department admissions: a cross-sectional study

Background: Abuse and neglect, including self-neglect, are frequent among geriatric patients and can lead to serious medical consequences. Unfortunately, these issues are often overlooked. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of elder neglect on emergency department admissions among elderly individuals who frequently present to the emergency department. Methods: Elderly patients aged 65 and above who visited the emergency department at least twice within one year were included in this study. We used the Elderly Self-Neglect Scale for assessment of elder neglect, a valid and reliable tool in Turkish. Physicians recorded each patient’s sociodemographic characteristics, including gender, age, marital status, number of children, cohabitation status, chronic disease and living arrangements, to evaluate their association with neglect. Results: Self-neglect was associated with marital status (F = 9.04; p < 0.05), number of children (F = 5.78; p < 0.05) and cohabitation status (F = 7.86; p < 0.05) but not with living arrangements. Conclusions: Given the increasing geriatric population, emergency physicians have an ethical duty to diagnose, treat, appropriately refer and report suspected cases of neglect. It is important to consider neglect in elderly patients who frequently present to the emergency department. Among geriatric patients, factors such as abuse, neglect, affective disorders, caregiver stress and cognitive disorders should be evaluated. Physicians involved in geriatric rehabilitation must be aware of the signs and implications of elder self-neglect.