Abstract
The study examined perceptions of elder mistreatment (EM) and help-seeking intentions in two older Korean cohorts—residents in Korea (n = 124) and Korean immigrants (n = 124) in the United States, recruited using a quota sampling strategy. A mixed method survey utilized four hypothetical scenarios of physical, financial, and psychological abuse and neglect. A majority of participants perceived physical, financial, and psychological abuse scenarios as EM but not the neglect scenario. Multivariate analysis showed strong association between perception of mistreatment and help-seeking intention in the Korea-based cohort for all types of EM. In the immigrant cohort, help-seeking intention was associated with only the physical abuse vignette. The results suggest a need for culturally sensitive, type-specific EM interventions and education and policies on elder neglect in both countries.
Acknowledgments
The U.S.-based research was supported by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Korea-based research was supported by the GOAL-NURI program funded by the Korea Research Foundation.