Caregivers and Violence

Risk Factors for People Who Utilize Caregiver Services

People who utilize caregiver services may have a high level of vulnerability for abuse for several reasons. Individuals who receive caregiving are often dependent on their caregivers for basic needs, including particularly personal activities, such as bathing, dressing, or toileting. This dependency may prevent a person from recognizing or reporting abuse. In circumstances involving informal care, a person requiring caregiving may also feel guilty, thus overlooking instances of violence and feeling such violence is deserved. Further, the person receiving services might believe that he or she has no other means to receive care and fear that reporting violence would result in either institutional-ization or increased violence from the caregiver. People who utilize formal caregiving services may interact with multiple caregivers and may not see the same caregiver twice, thus never building a relationship of trust with the caregiver. This person may also fear increased violence and worry about losing his or her care provider agency if he or she complains. In both instances, the caregiver may control the means of reporting violence by limiting the person's access to telephones or other means of communication.

Caregiver Perpetrators

There are numerous factors associated with the perpetration of violence by caregivers to people in their care. These factors vary depending on whether the support services are provided by formal or informal caregivers. While most professional caregivers provide excellent services and support, there are some work-related issues that may increase the potential for abuse. Formal caregivers are frequently underpaid, receive little training, receive no direct supervision, and are provided little employment support. For caregivers working with individuals in their homes or in community settings, there can be intense isolation. The job duties of formal caregivers can be highly stressful. Agencies that employ caregivers experience high rates of staff turnover and have high vacancy rates, resulting in higher levels of stress in caregivers. Because of the shortage of staff in these caregiver roles, some agencies do not screen their potential employees well and risk hiring those with violent backgrounds.

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