Elder abuse in residential settings in Israel - Myth or reality?

The article tries to answer the question: Is elder abuse in residential care in Israel a myth or a reality? A broad definition of abuse was used, including the 'classical' forms presented in the literature, and also violation of rights and any act that infringes on quality of life of residents. As no data exist which directly explored this issue, the analysis was based on: recent laws mandating the report of abuse, governmental surveillance data, court cases, media clippings, and data from quality of life studies. Findings reveal that abuse in its 'classical' form exists only in a limited number of small private unlicensed facilities. However, when using the broader definition, abuse is a reality in many settings, exercised mainly by nurses' aides.