| This study explored university students' perceptions of financial abuse of older adults. A quantitative survey was used to gather a baseline of knowledge that the sampled students had regarding the topic. It was found that the sampled students had an understanding about the topic. It was identified that 76.9% of surveyed students had heard about abuse of older adults on television. Following the survey, 10 students were interviewed to further discuss their thoughts and perceptions. These students provided insight into how ethnicity and culture, family dynamics, and individual traits can affect the perceptions one has on abuse. From the interviews, two major findings emerged. First, it was identified that all the students had seen the Government of Canada commercials on abuse of older adults, and felt they were beneficial. Second, the topic of entitlement/expectance frequently arose. Participants identified that they believed perpetrators were driven to commit financial abuse of older adults because they felt entitled to the money. |
