Adults living with neurologic disability, particularly stroke survivors, face disproportionately high rates of violence and abuse. This vulnerability is amplified in the Deep South due to elevated stroke burden, structural disadvantage, and persistent community-level disparities in both violence and health care access. We conducted a narrative review of peer-reviewed literature indexed in PubMed, along with relevant surveillance and policy reports, to synthesize current evidence on the burden, patterns, risk factors, and prevention opportunities related to violence among adult stroke survivors. The review focused on elder mistreatment, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, caregiver abuse and neglect, and financial exploitation. Findings indicate that individuals with disabilities experience substantially higher rates of victimization than those without disabilities. Among stroke survivors, there was a notable prevalence of multitype abuse. Regional factors such as rural residence, elevated homicide rates, concentrated socioeconomic disadvantage, and limited access to health and social services may further increase risk in the Deep South. Post-stroke care models should incorporate routine violence screening, trauma-informed practices, collaboration with Adult Protective Services, and linkage to community-based prevention resources. Policy strategies, including temporary transaction holds for suspected financial exploitation and telehealth-enabled follow-up, may improve detection, reporting, and safety planning in high-burden regions.
McLendon et al. (Fri,) studied this question.