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Understanding 'Elder Abuse And Neglect': A Critique Of Assumptions Underpinning Responses To The Mistreatment And Neglect Of Older People, Joan Harbison, Steve Coughlan, Marie Beaulieu, Jeff Karabanow, Madine Vanderplaat, Sheila Wildeman, Ezra Wexler

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

This article provides an overview of the ways in which the mistreatment and neglect of older people have come to be understood as a social problem, one which is underpinned by a variety of substantive and theoretical assumptions. It connects the process of conceptualizing elder abuse and neglect to political-economic and social evolution. The authors draw on a review of the literature, government sources, interest group websites, and their own research to provide a critical commentary illustrating how these understandings have become manifest in legislation, policies, and programs pertaining to "elder abuse and neglect" in Canada. Suggestions are provided for …