Older Women Speak About Abuse & Neglect in the Post-migration Context

Elder abuse and neglect occur in every community and society. While considerable research is emerging on elder abuse, limited health science research exists to-date on older women experiencing abuse and neglect in the post-migration context in Canada. Building on our community partners’ interest in further understanding the topic of elder abuse and our previous work on violence against women throughout the migration process, this qualitative study explored older immigrant women’s experiences of and responses to abuse and neglect in one community. Data generation involved individual interviews and three focus groups with a group of older women (N=43) from the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Toronto. Findings show that older women experienced various forms of neglect and abuse and that the primary abusers were their husbands, children and children-in-law. Their community and Canadian society at large were also implicated. Women’s responses to abuse were shaped by many factors at micro, meso, and macro-societal levels. In responding to abuse, older immigrant women showed remarkable resilience. Strategies are offered to better support older women’s attempts to cope with abuse and to promote their resiliencies