Case Managers’ Questions to Older Adults About Domestic Abuse : A Survey Study

To recognize and identify older adults exposed to domestic abuse case managers need to raise the issue with their clients. The purpose of this study was to examinethe factors that influence case managers’ questions to older adults about domestic abuse and their views on asking such questions. A survey study was conducted with case managers (n=64) working in Dalarna County, with a response rate of 69.6%. The results showed that the largest proportion (n=24, 37.5%) of casemanagers rarely ask questions about domestic abuse. How frequently they asked questions was associated with greater confidence in handling cases of domestic abuse and a higher prioritization of the issue. The largest proportion of case managers felt neutral about discussing the subject with a client, while greater comfort in discussing domestic abuse was linked to greater confidence in handling such cases, receiving sufficient education/training on domestic abuse and a higher prioritization of the issue. It is important that case managers work in an organization that provides them with the confidence and skills that enable them to ask older adults about domestic abuse.