Domestic abuse and older women: exploring the opportunities for service development and care delivery

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of domestic abuse on the health and lives of older women.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research design was used and data were collected using in‐depth interviews with 16 older women who had experienced domestic abuse. The interviews varied between one and two hours in length and, with the participant's permission, all of the interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis was undertaken utilising an iterative approach. In the present study all data were manually indexed and coded.

Findings

The findings of this study illustrate that the consequences of domestic abuse for older women are far reaching, impacting significantly on the long‐term health and emotional wellbeing of those affected. This paper also highlights that there is currently little available data regarding older women and domestic abuse within the particular context of health. This is increasingly being recognised as a significant deficit in awareness and understanding within society as a whole and, more particularly, for those responsible for support and care provision. Existing policy in this field and the implications for service development are also considered.

Research limitations/implications

This is a small scale study and therefore there are limitations in terms of generalisability.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the specific issues that arise for older women who have experienced domestic abuse within the particular context of health.

Citation

McGarry, J. and Simpson, C. (2011), "Domestic abuse and older women: exploring the opportunities for service development and care delivery", The Journal of Adult Protection, Vol. 13 No. 6, pp. 294-301. https://doi.org/10.1108/14668201111194203