Safeguarding Adults at Risk of Abuse
By: Josée Iyonsaba
Josée at the Belfast Botanic Gardens, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nursing Research in Dublin – Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
This summer, I am working on a project exploring issues related to safeguarding adults at risk of financial abuse. My interest in adult safeguarding began when I learned about elder abuse in an undergraduate nursing course (NURS 255: Nursing of Older Adults). I realized that in many parts of the world, abuse of adults at risk happens with little recognition or intervention and that some forms of abuse are more underestimated and underreported, especially the more subtle forms.
Adult safeguarding is increasingly attracting attention from policymakers and the health and social care sector in Ireland and internationally. The safeguarding adults at risk of financial abuse project will contribute to the literature by increasing knowledge about different forms of financial abuse and exploring how we can improve modes of management of cases of financial abuse. The project is also an opportunity for me to increase my knowledge about the nature of adult abuse and learn about how I can prevent and respond to cases of abuse as a healthcare professional. As an international student, I can compare the socio-cultural factors that influence the abuse of adults at risk in my country, the US, and Ireland. I am also grateful that I can learn and improve my research skills by working with experienced researchers in the field.
My first task for the project was to write a literature review about adult safeguarding, providing an overview of who is an adult at risk of abuse, the nature of abuse, and problems with identifying and managing suspected cases of abuse. We recently began the data collection phase of the project. We run focus groups with financial institutions and key agencies in adult safeguarding, such as Safeguarding Ireland, Sage Advocacy, and the Health Information and Quality Authority. In the focus groups, participants share their experiences and cases of financial abuse they have encountered. They also speak about challenges they face in responding to financial abuse cases and discuss strategies for improving case management. It is always fascinating to see people engage in a discussion about a topic they are knowledgeable and passionate about. Sometimes it feels like I am participating in a seminar, except that I usually don’t have anything to contribute, but I still learn a lot from observing.
At the end of this internship experience, I will have completed a literature review, learned about a qualitative research method (focus groups), and contributed to the analysis of the findings. I will co-author a short journal article for publication. We will also compile the literature review and research findings into a detailed report for publication.
Last but not least, I am grateful that this research position has enabled me to gain more living abroad experience and acquire knowledge about what it takes to be successful while working in another country.
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce.