Stakeholders’ perceptions on guidelines to prevent abuse of older people in Norway: a qualitative analysis

Abuse of older people is a public health and human rights issue globally, with approximately 1 in 6 older adults experiencing abuse annually. This prevalence highlights the need for robust prevention strategies, even in Norway, despite its comprehensive healthcare systems. This study explored stakeholders’ perceptions of existing legislation and guidelines, as well as the shortcomings that needs to be addressed to prevent abuse of older people in Norway. The exploratory qualitative design employed in-depth and formal natural group interviews with stakeholders and experts in the abuse of older people field. Through reflexive thematic analysis, three themes were identified: (1) Stakeholders experience with, and perspective on, abuse of older people; (2) System-level challenges in preventing abuse of older people; and (3) Pathways for systematic improvement and cultural change in preventing abuse of older people. Stakeholders identified key challenges including ambiguous definitions, complexity of the older adult population, and vulnerability to abuse. Findings emphasize the need to increase awareness and education, address insufficient competence, staffing, and resources, establish clear reporting guidelines, and improve interdisciplinary collaboration to prevent abuse of older people.