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Ninety-six experts in the fields of elder abuse and aging in New York State met in Albany, NY on May 10-12, 2004 to 'Target Eider Abuse' and to create a New York State Action Agenda to combat elder abuse. Lifespan of Greater Rochester convened and sponsored the Summit, modeled after the 2001 National Summit in Washington, DC The New York State (NYS) Office of Children and Family Services-Bureau of Adult Services, NYS Office for the Aging, NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, as well as Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and MedAmerica Insurance Company of New York were co-sponsors. The Summit was largely funded through the Administration on Aging by a federal grant obtained by US Senator Charles E. Schumer (NY). Other contributors included Excellus BlueCross Blue Shield, NYS Office for the Aging, and Alfred University's Rural Justice Institute. KEYWORDS. Elder abuse, elder mistreatment, New York, state summit, policy

Elderly men are an under-studied group of abuse victims. Although victimization surveys discriminate against all elderly, abused elderly men are especially invisible. This paper will discuss the high rates of self-abuse by older men and their high risk for abuse when they are lonely, living within inner cities, incarcerated, or gay. Since most men live with a spouse (or significant other), they have also been victims of domestic violence. It is suspected that institutionalized elderly men live in settings that are incongruent with their self-concepts and preferences. Finally, this paper discusses the special vulnerability of men from culturally-diverse backgrounds to elder abuse (resulting from male-dominated socialization and intergenerational conflict). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is recognized worldwide that evidence on what effectively prevents abuse of at-risk adults (including older people) is lacking. The purpose of this paper is to make an explicit, contemporary proposal as to why front-line workers and policy-makers interested in preventing the abuse of at-risk adults should adopt an opportunity-focused, problem-oriented policing framework from criminology. This paper will first position the proposal within the current context of responses to the abuse of at-risk adults. Following this, the paper will outline how the problem-oriented policing framework can develop targeted, collaborative, sustainable, and measurable prevention strategies intended to remove the opportunity for specific examples of abuse of at-risk adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by existing gaps in the research of elder abuse and neglect (EAN) outcomes and very limited knowledge from Central-European cultural contexts, this paper analyzes the link between domestic-based EAN and three measures of well-being, namely subjective loneliness, sense of control over one's life, and a broader outlook on life. To do this, we used recently (2022) collected EAN survey fielded among home-dwelling residents of the Czech Republic aged 65 +. The results show that there is a clear relationship between EAN and these selected outcomes. Controlling for several sets of potential modifying or confounding factors further indicates that this relationship is substantial and direct, rather than weak and indirect. Among controls, only variables related to disadvantage (health, income, dependency, history of abuse) partly account for the link between EAN and its outcomes due to their relation to both heightened risk of EAN and lower well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to characterize investigative structures and investigator characteristics for each APS office in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Through mailed questionnaires and follow-up telephone calls, 1,409 questionnaires were completed for a return rate of 80%. The mean age of respondents was 46.4 years and ninety-nine percent of the respondents worked full-time and has been in his or her current position for an average of nine years. Half of the respondents reported using abuse screen or risk factor instruments when investigating an alleged elder abuse report. Seventy-three percent reported that they investigate only adult and elder allegations. Sixty percent of the respondents reported that a formal training program for elder abuse evaluations was in place for employees with an average length of two to four days. Sixty-nine percent of the investigators consider an elder to be "better off" most of the time following intervention, and that this improved status was a direct result of the resources provided. Nearly three-fourths of investigators reported that elder abuse was under reported in their area. Those on the front lines, the APS investigators, provide valuable insights regarding the systems in which they work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in elder abuse definitions hinder the comparison of research and state elder abuse data (Jogerst, Daly, Brinig et al., in press). The purposes of this paper are to describe and summarize the elder abuse definitions in the state statutes and present current definitions used in practice, education, and research. The definitions of elder abuse for the 50 state and District of Columbia laws addressing protective services for domestic elder abuse were analyzed. No one single term describing elder abuse was used uniformly across all statutes. "Abandonment," "mental anguish," "exploitation," "neglect," "self-neglect," and "sexual abuse" were predominant terms used in the statutes. It is unlikely that legislation for the 50 states and District of Columbia would be implemented to change the statutes definitions of elder abuse but it is possible to develop a list of definitions that can be used as model definitions for researchers, practitioners, and for future policy changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As federal agencies support the development of data systems for adult protective services (APS), researchers and practitioners are increasingly using administrative data to study types of adult maltreatment, including self-neglect, and the systems that respond to them. To date, however, APS has worked with little guidance about how best to use these data. This situation has contributed to inconsistent findings and uneven quality of research. Based on the authors' experience in multiple states and using examples from research and practice, this paper reviews practical considerations related to organizing and analyzing APS administrative data. We address concerns related to time-limited, erroneous, and missing data, as well as defining metrics and accounting for the multilevel structure of data with repeated observations. Reviewing these methodological details can help APS practitioners strengthen quality assurance processes and improve research in this important area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this paper are twofold: (1) to provide an epidemiological assessment of the differential vulnerability that elders compared to younger victims have to injury as the result of a violent victimization perpetrated by both known and unknown offenders, and (2) to examine the factors most related to injurious outcomes for elderly victims of violence including self-protective behavior. Using robbery and physical assault data from the National Crime Victimization Survey for 1992 through 2000, this paper found that victims 65 years of age and older were much more likely to require medical care for their injuries compared to younger victims. When multivariate models were examined to predict injury, it was found the effects of verbal and/or other passive forms of self-protective behavior decreased the probability of injury for the elderly against both known and unknown offenders. When elders were attacked by strangers, the effects of physical resistance strategies also served to decrease the probability of injury. However, when the offender was known, such as a family member or a friend, the use of physical forms of resistance increased the probability of injury for elderly victims, particularly female victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the results of a 1997 survey of 395 adult protective services workers in 43 states that produced ratings of the helpfulness of 17 occupational groups in the detection of cases of elder abuse and neglect, respectively. Data are also presented on ratings of the overall awareness of the public and professional workers about elder abuse and neglect and on efforts to improve awareness of these forms of elder mistreatment. Findings suggest that many occupational groups were more helpful in detecting elder abuse and neglect in the late 1990s than was the case at earlier points in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elder abuse and neglect have been reported as significant public health and societal problem in many different societies across the world. In Malaysia, older adults recorded a high prevalence of neglect compared to other types of elder abuse. There is a dearth of empirical work on elder self-neglect (ESN) among the older population in Malaysia. This paper aims to explore the mediational role of self-efficacy on the relationship between selected biopsychosocial factors and ESN among community-living older adults in Selangor, Malaysia. This study utilized a cross-sectional survey to gather data from a representative sample of 202 older adults from Selangor. A newly developed scale of 16-items of elder self-neglect (ESN) was used in this study. The results showed that self-efficacy partially mediated the association between ADL, IADL, depression, and capacity of self-care on ESN. Self-efficacy also fully mediated the association between neuroticism, life satisfaction, social network, and education on ESN. These findings provided a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of self-neglect among older Malaysian adults. The results will also serve as a useful reference for professionals and policymakers to develop uniform guidelines, protocols, or programs to handle cases of elder self-neglect in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repeat referral to adult protective services APS (recurrence) is a much-discussed topic among APS agencies as it may indicate ongoing harm, yet there is limited research examining prevalence or causes. This paper provides a foundational investigation of recurrence within a California APS county program. Drawing from thirty-three months of de-identified reports, we used logistic regression to examine the impact of intake report characteristics on repeat referral within one year after baseline case closure. One-fifth of the sample was recurrent (19.9%, n=987/4,958), with self-neglect being the most common type of report to recur (14.3%, n=307/2,141). Overall recurrence was predicted by female gender, older age, living alone, and multiple elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation (ANE) types reported at baseline, and report placed by social service provider, friends, family, landlords, and victim self-reports. Reporters personally related to the victim and social service providers are potential partners in identifying ANE, and alternate intervention approaches may be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate violence against older battered women has been neglected by researchers as well as by practitioners and advocates. The aim of this paper is to describe and analyze the experiences and perceptions of older battered women in coping with and surviving the violence. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty older battered women prior to group intervention. The analysis of interviews revealed four major themes: (1) Experiencing the self from two opposite poles: heroines or fools; (2) Giving up the self for the sake of family members; (3) Children as meaningful others: Friends or foes? (4) Lost in time between a painful past and a trap-like future. These findings are discussed in terms of women's overall existential experience. Some implications for future intervention are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing visibility of older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people, there is an urgent need to understand abuse in their lives. This is an under-researched area, which this scoping study (based on a literature review and a small subset of data taken from a larger project) serves to demonstrate. The content of this article formed the basis of a paper presented at a workshop on 'LGBT Elder Abuse' held at Keele University(UK) in 2017, convened and chaired by the author. It considers LGBT elder abuse in terms of polyvictimisation, intersectionality and the abuse of power. The identifies knowledge gaps, proposes a research agenda, and explains why such an agenda matters. In particular, the need for researchers of elder abuse, LGBT domestic abuse and organisational abuse to cut across their traditional boundaries of inquiry in order to address how the abuse of older LGBT people intersects with each domain [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult Protective Services (APS) professionals are often called on to assess decision-making capacity when investigating financial exploitation. Previous research found that in consecutive APS cases, a decision-making screening scale (LFDSS) also detected financial exploitation. The purpose of this study was to apply the clinical cutoff scores derived from the previous study to a new sample of APS cases. Using a sample of 105 participants, from APS workers across 5 counties this study investigated the clinical utility of the LFDSS to detect financial exploitation based on ratings by APS professionals using the scale. Results demonstrate that the LFDSS has excellent internal consistency and clinical utility properties. This paper provides support for use of the LFDSS as a reliable and valid instrument. Instructions for use of the LFDSS are included in the article, along with information about online support tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to summarize how state legislators are responding to the increasing incidence of elder financial fraud and exploitation (EFFE) and investigate the impact of new state legislation. Methods: Our empirical model investigates the impact of recent changes in state legislation, after controlling for relevant state demographics, on the prevalence of EFFE claims reported in the Consumer Sentinel Network database. We use panel data in a fixed effects model with and without time dummy variables. Results: States with additional penalties targeting EFFE have a significantly lower percentage of complaints from elders, whereas the impact of mandatory and protected voluntary reporting laws is not significant in this sample. Discussion: State legislators have increased their awareness of and are acting to produce legislation protecting the elderly from EFFE. Increased information, training and data sharing across states can go a long way to detecting and prosecuting EFFE cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a context and overview for what is known about polyvictimization in later life. Drawing from previous literature, the article includes a definition of the phenomenon, as well as theoretical constructs by which it may be understood. We place other forms of polyvictimization within the context of elder abuse, recognize frameworks for conceptualizing polyvictimization in later life, and distinguish between polyvictimization at younger ages and polyvictimization in later life. The paper concludes with implications of the framework for research, practice, and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present paper addresses the advancement of research, policies, legislation, and practice experiences designed to deal with the phenomenon of elder abuse and neglect in Israel in times of transition. The paper presents a short overview of the demographic scene, reflecting population characteristics and needs that impact care giving as well as elder abuse and neglect, The developments of scientific knowledge and its accumulation, especially the empirical data from the first national survey on elder abuse and neglect are discussed. Further, legislative developments relating to four generational laws and the advancement of policies and innovative practice experiences are described and analyzed. Finally, future challenges in the field are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current demographic landscape features an increasing number of elderly individuals in the care of some trusted other. Being cared for by a trusted other raises the potential for mistreatment of the elder by that trusted other. The goal of this paper is to explore die possibility of preventing elder mistreatment by increasing the bridging and bonding social capital available to caretakers, Attending to social capital lets researchers expand their focus toward areas rarely examined through current stress-outcome models (e.g., interpersonal interactions). First, elder mistreatment and social capital are defined and discussed. Then, a model is forwarded that details how social capital might mitigate the effects of caretaker stress and decrease the probability that caretakers will engage in elder mistreatment in both home and long-term care institutional settings. Finally, implications for future research and practical intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent maltreatment, aging services must be age appropriate even as consumers suffer from physical and cognitive disabilities. In this paper, it is argued that exposing older persons to child-oriented settings, activities and speech patterns in aging service environments represent a form of psychological mistreatment. Ethnographic evidence from 220 hours of field observations in five "social model" adult day centers revealed infantilization of service users in the form of confinement, baby-talk, nicknames, child oriented decor, teacher-student learning format, reprimands, use of toys, as well as a loss of privacy regulation, autonomy, choice, and adult status. All centers exhibited some mistreatment, but severe examples were present in two of the five centers studied. Negative influences on behavior, well-being, self-identity, relationship formation, and social interaction were detected, which distinguished mistreatment from pool" quality of care. Insider interviews (231 revealed resentment and adaptive strategies employed to distance themselves from infantilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since elder abuse was first acknowledged as a health care and social problem, incidence and prevalence of mistreatment has been assessed sparingly in the United States and other countries around the world. Standardized instruments for determining the prevalence of elder abuse have not been developed and other instruments measuring a person's function and spousal violence have been adapted for the measurement of eider abuse prevalence. The purposes of this paper are to (1) ascertain the reading grade level of the most frequently used elder abuse prevalence instrument's text and (2) determine the content validity of the instruments with respect to the types of elder abuse included in them. A review of the instruments used to measure elder abuse prevalence was completed and a questionnaire was developed to measure the reading grade level and type of elder abuse content in four instruments. The Fry Readability. Flesch Reading Ease, and McLaughlin Grading formulas were used to determine reading grade level. A questionnaire regarding content validity was sent to 69 faculty and staff in one university department and a 59% return was achieved. The Conflict Tactics Scale and the Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse-Screening Test had the lowest mean score at the 6th grade reading level. Results of content analysis for types of elder abuse demonstrated none of the instruments are comprehensive. Instruments to measure the prevalence are needed which balance readability and content validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been relatively little qualitatively or quantitatively published research to guide the field in identifying and addressing barriers to seeking help for older women who experience domestic violence. Women over the age of 45 have seldom been participants in research on domestic violence. This paper describes results from a qualitative study that focused on reactions to and internalization of abusive behaviors of an intimate partner. Twenty-one locus groups were conducted with 134 middle-aged and older women. Analysis of the data identified six factors that describe reactions to abusive behavior that become barriers to help seeking, including sell-blame, powerlessness, hopelessness, the need to protect family, and the need to keep such abuse secret from others. These findings are discussed with implications for community outreach and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of an educational experience in teaching the topic of elder abuse in an undergraduate social work department in a college in Israel. The goal of the experience described in this report was to create an intergenerational, learning community in the classroom by bringing in older persons as co-teachers, experts on their experience, and co-learners to improve the study of gerontology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the context in which elder abuse occurs in Africa and the types of abuse that are manifested; proffers explanations for the abuse; offers a human rights approach to understanding and responding to the abuse; reviews policies on aging and legislation to protect older person's rights; and considers strategies to prevent the abuse. The types of abuse are shown to be more violent than those prevalent in Western countries. The inefficiency or inadequacy of present systems to protect older persons against violence and abuse is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe how elder mistreatment (EM) assessment has been conducted in emergency departments in an ongoing study on elder neglect and to present profiles of older adults who are assessed as neglected by domestic caregivers. Data from 334 patients, which include 22 neglect cases, are presented in order to examine the demographic profile of the sample and the differences between the neglect and non-neglect groups. Results suggest that. although there are no differences in the basic demographic variables of the two groups, differences exist in regards to the type of caregiver, the reason for the patient's emergency department visit, and the elder's functional and dependency status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe how elder mistreatment (EM) assessment has been conducted in emergency departments in an ongoing study on elder neglect and to present profiles of older adults who are assessed as neglected by domestic caregivers. Data from 334 patients, which include 22 neglect cases, are presented in order to examine the demographic profile of the sample and the differences between the neglect and non-neglect groups. Results suggest that, although there are no differences in the basic demographic variables of the two groups, differences exist in regards to the type of caregiver, the reason for the patient's emergency department visit, and the elder's functional and dependency status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in elder abuse definitions hinder the comparison of research and state elder abuse data (Jogerst, Daly, Brinig et al., in press). The purposes of this paper are to describe and summarize the cider abuse definitions in the state statutes and present current definitions used in practice, education, and research. The definitions of elder abuse for the 50 state and District of Columbia laws addressing protective services for domestic elder abuse were analyzed. No one single term describing elder abuse was used uniformly across all statutes. "Abandonment," "mental anguish," "exploitation," "neglect," "self-neglect," and "sexual abuse" were predominant terms used in the statutes. It is unlikely that legislation for the 50 states and District of Columbia would be implemented to change the statutes definitions of elder abuse but it is possible to develop a list of definitions that can be used as model definitions for researchers, practitioners, and for future policy changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to characterize investigative structures and investigator characteristics for each APS office in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Through mailed questionnaires and follow-up telephone calls, 1,409 questionnaires were completed for a return rate of 80%. The mean age of respondents was 46.4 years and ninety-nine percent of the respondents worked full-time and has been in his or her current position for an average of nine years. Half of the respondents reported using abuse screen or risk factor instruments when investigating an alleged elder abuse report. Seventy-three percent reported that they investigate only adult and elder allegations. Sixty percent of the respondents reported that a formal training program for elder abuse evaluations was in place for employees with an average length of two to four days. Sixty-nine percent of the investigators consider an elder to be "better off" most of the time following intervention, and that this improved status was a direct result of the resources provided. Nearly three-fourths of investigators reported that elder abuse was under reported in their area. Those on the front lines, the APS investigators, provide valuable insights regarding the systems in which they work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several outcomes from the United Nations focal point on ageing expert group meeting (UN EGM) on "Neglect, Abuse and Violence of Older Women" in New York on November 2013. The following papers presented include "Survivors in the Margins: The Invisibility of Violence Against Older Women" by Cailin Crockett et al., "The Sexual Victimization of Older Women Living in Nursing Homes" by Pamela Teaser et al., and "Financial Abuse of Older Women in Serbia" by Nevena Petrusic et al.

In recent years there has been an increased emphasis on violence and abuse within society generally. Following a focus in the United Kingdom (UK) on child abuse in the 1970s and domestic violence in the 1980s, in the 1990s the abuse and neglect of older people began to elicit concern. The initial focus of interest was of situations arising in the domestic setting. More recently, however, much needed attention has shifted to situations involving institutional settings. This paper will discuss abuse and neglect occurring in the UK. It aims to provide a brief overview of the status of current knowledge concerning abuse of older people followed by a discussion of some of the issues relating to the prevention of abuse and neglect from a UK perspective. An exploration of some of the issues involved will contribute to our understanding of abuse and neglect of older people in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only relatively recently has the issue of elder abuse come to prominence in Australia. Until the late 1980s it was a hidden problem with little knowledge of its presence. Attention was drawn to elder abuse after the publication of a number of reports and research projects, allowing the development of responses at national and state levels. This paper gives an overview of the development of elder abuse as a social, legal and medical issue in Australia, and describes the diverse range of responses from the national, state and territory governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elder abuse has not been viewed as seriously as child abuse because of the emotional sensibilities attached to child abuse. Although elder abuse is experienced disproportionately by women, men also are in need of protection and engagement. An important factor for understanding the work with elderly men is the social construction of manhood. Both urban and rural settings recognize this as a significant starting point to engage men in services. This paper describes the efforts in both rural and urban Adult Protective Service agencies to identify and work with abused elderly men from a strengths and solution-focused perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elderly men are an understudied population in the area of abuse and neglect. The typical elder abuse or neglect victim is described as a frail woman. The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study shows men to be victims as well and at higher risk than women for abandonment, the most extreme form of neglect. A qualitative study of older widowed men did not specifically explore issues of abuse and neglect, but found several of the men experiencing alienation from one or more of their adult children. This paper explores the dynamics of these "fractured relationships" and finds several patterns that may increase an older man's risk of being neglected when his needs for support increase. Many men are not functioning in a kinkeeper role and are not attempting to repair fractured relationships. Minimizing their own feelings may prevent men from understanding the extent of alienation felt by an adult child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abuse of men is still very much a taboo subject, so identifying older men who have been abused in childhood or adulthood can be very difficult. This paper discusses the problems in identifying older male victims by drawing on the findings of two research projects. Statistical evidence is presented regarding the victims and the abuse they have experienced. It is argued that in general resources are not readily available to facilitate disclosure or to help men through the healing process. An example of good practice is presented by discussing the work undertaken with an older man through group work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family doctors' frequent contact with seniors put them in reasonable positions to detect elder abuse and initiate referral to adult protective services. Since doctor reporting is low, however, this paper explores whether the gender of patient and/or doctor impacts on identification of elder mistreatment, or creates differential detection of one gender over the other. Use of the validated Elder Abuse Suspicion Index (EASI), and a structured social work evaluation, is described to provide some gender-based data from Canadian family practice. Specifically, while the prevalence of elder abuse is estimated to range from 12.0% to 13.3%, the specific prevalence was found for females to be 13.6% to 15.2% and for males 9.1% to 9.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner abuse among older persons, though less common than among the general population, is a significant concern. Drawing from the intimate partner abuse and elder abuse literatures, this paper presents considerations for the assessment of risk for intimate partner abuse perpetrated against older men, with reference to the prevalent gendered view of abuse between intimate partners. Potential victim and perpetrator risk factors specific to this context are discussed and existing risk assessment tools are introduced. Implications and future research directions are discussed with regard to the application of risk assessment technology to this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adult protective services (APS) related statutes that define adult/elder mistreatment found in domestic settings. Institutional adult/elder mistreatment laws are administered by the nursing home licensing agencies and may contain different or duplicate APS-related mistreatment definitions. The purposes of this paper are to describe and summarize the mistreatment definitions in the nursing home licensure statutes and compare those definitions with the definitions found in the APS-related statutes. Methods. Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis law database systems were used to retrieve all adult protective services statutes and institutional licensure statutes. Each statute's text was reviewed and coded by two researchers. Results. Institutional mistreatment definitions are addressed in 14 of the slates and District of Columbia's nursing home statutes. No one state has a lilt of the 27 different definitions of mistreatment identified in the literature search. The common types of mistreatment described were physical and emotional abuse, neglect, financial and property exploitation, and sexual abuse. Conclusion. Standardized definitions of resident-to-resident and institutional specific types of mistreatment need to be included in nursing home statutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of English elder abuse policy including guidelines developed for adult protection by their Department of Health in 2000, a report released from the House of Commons Health Committee in 2004 on elder abuse, related policy changes affecting older adults, the mentally incapacitated, and social care regulations, and the launching of public awareness campaigns. In contrast to the U.S., English policy subsumes elder abuse within the larger category of vulnerable adult protection, steers clear of mandatory reporting, emphasizes abuse by formal caregivers rather than domestic violence, relics on a multi-agency approach to investigation and intervention, and supports more remedial, less punitive regulatory oversight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC) and an application of Felson's Routine Activities Theory, this paper examines gender and age differences in victimization experiences of a sample of more than 4,200 homeless and near-homeless people, mostly adults. Results suggest that there are no differences in victimization experience by homelessness status and that the negative relationship between age and victimization rates found in the general population is also found in the homeless population. However, the relationship is relatively weak and erratic, suggesting that homeless older adults who are at least 50 years old are at increased risk of becoming victims, a finding consistent with Routine Activities Theory. In addition, similar to research with other populations, younger homeless males are statistically more likely to report being victims of theft and physical assault while females of all ages are more likely to report being victims of sexual assault. However, for older homeless adults, the gender difference in likelihood of victimization disappears. Perhaps because older homeless women are labeled as easy targets, they were equally as likely as men to be victims of physical assault and theft in old age. This is also consistent with Routine Activities Theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faith communities can play a critical role in the prevention of elder abuse and neglect by fostering heightened public awareness of elder mistreatment, as well as providing services to abused elders in the community. Faith leaders are among the most likely groups of caregivers to encounter cases of elder abuse, but unfortunately not all are aware of ways of identifying and effectively dealing with abuse. Religious leaders require training to educate them about elder abuse issues to identify the important roles they can play in prevention, intervention and treatment. Pastoral workers and theology students should also be exposed to educational concepts regarding this problem. In an age of ecumenism and interfaith movements, religious leaders must become a conduit for the well-being and safety of older adults. This paper discusses exploratory work undertaken in Ontario, funded by Health Canada (Ontario Region), the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and Justice Canada to begin to uncover the extent to which faith leaders are aware of instances of elder abuse, and what they might see as their role in addressing such problems in their faith communities. A thorough literature review suggests that while considerable attention has been paid to the issue of elder abuse, researchers have not focused on the role of faith leaders in addressing this complex problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elder abuse is a societal problem that influences all members of the community. By 1993 each state had enacted laws addressing elder abuse in domestic and institutional settings (Tatara, 1995). These laws take many different forms, and in 44 states and the District of Columbia, contain sections regarding the designation of mandatory reporters of elder abuse and neglect. Health care professionals and law enforcement personnel frequently are listed as mandatory reporters. Iowa is the only state that requires education for its mandatory reporters. The purpose of this paper is to compare the investigation and substantiation rates for elder abuse allegations before and after July 1988 when Iowa statute (§ 235B.1 IA CO) was revised to ensure training of mandatory reporters. The investigation and substantiation rates were analyzed using two-sample t-tests for comparisons of four time periods and compared to investigation rates for Texas and Wisconsin. There were no significant differences in investigation rates for the four time periods and no significant increase in investigation rates over time for Iowa. Many different state agencies are involved in implementing and enforcing this expensive and complicated endeavor of required education for mandatory reporters. Unfortunately, this education has not impacted investigation or substantiation rates for elder abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examines what healthcare professionals, students and older adults believe about elder financial abuse in Greece. Participants responded to two vignettes by choosing which characteristics indicate elder financial abuse. Greeks are less likely to perceive financial exploitation when the perpetrator is a close family member, but are more likely to recognize it when perpetrated by paid caregivers or more distant (male) relatives. Signing over the victim's property to another is less likely to be perceived as elder abuse than is the taking of money from bank accounts, even though the property is often worth more than what is taken from the account. Although there are some differences in perception between healthcare professionals and others in Greek society, these (and other anomalies) make it difficult to accurately report and prevent elder financial abuse in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resident-to-resident aggression (RRA) is an important issue in congregate residential facilities (CRFs) for older adults and has devastating effects. This study aimed to provide an inventory and content analysis of the practices used to counter RRA and promote wellness care for older adults in CRFs. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, original, peer-reviewed research and systematic reviews published in 14 electronic databases and two gray literature sources were examined. Of the 6196 articles identified, 28 met the inclusion criteria. Practices aimed to prevent, track or intervene in RRA, mostly in long-term care centers, but few were evidence-based and ready for widespread implementation. It emerges that continuous training of staff is necessary and that it should prioritize a person-centered approach. CRFs' managers must promote a culture of wellness care and policymakers should consider the prevention practices to improve the quality of life of older adults in CRFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual abuse of older adults is an issue that even the most proficient and competent of service providers to older adults feel poorly-equipped to handle professionally. This paper describes a threeday competency-based training curriculum on adult/elder sexual abuse developed for Adult Services and Adult Protective Services workers in Virginia. A rationale and background description are provided, followed by a discussion of the basic themes and principles on which the course was based. A list of course objectives and a summary of course content are provided, as well as informal evaluative data on success of the curriculum development project. The paper concludes with recommendations for other practitioners in aging interested in the development and delivery of similar training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elder abuse is a societal problem that influences all members of the community. By 1993 each state had enacted laws addressing elder abuse in domestic and institutional settings (Tatara, 1995). These laws take many different forms, and in 44 states and the District of Columbia, contain sections regarding the designation of mandatory reporters of elder abuse and neglect. Health care professionals and law enforcement personnel frequently are listed as mandatory reporters. Iowa is the only state that requires education for its mandatory reporters. The purpose of this paper is to compare the investigation and substantiation rates for elder abuse allegations before and after July 1988 when Iowa statute (§ 235B. 1 IA CO) was revised to ensure training of mandatory reporters. The investigation and substantiation rates were analyzed using two-sample t-tests for comparisons of four time periods and compared to investigation rates for Texas and Wisconsin. There were no significant differences in investigation rates for the four time periods and no significant increase in investigation rates over time for Iowa. Many different state agencies are involved in implementing and enforcing this expensive and complicated endeavor of required education for mandatory reporters. Unfortunately, this education has not impacted investigation or substantiation rates for elder abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thorough investigation of reported cases of elder maltreatment is necessary to determine the validity of the allegations and to identify victims to whom protective services should be offered. This paper dicusses the process of a comprehensive investigation, including the goals and steps involved. Information which should be elicited from reporters, collaterals, and existing documents is identified. Guidelines are provided for interviewing suspected victims and offenders. Specialized diagnostic evaluations may aid in determining the validity of allegation and assessing the impact of maltreatment on the victim. Clear, detailed documentation of findings is necessary, as is careful decision-making concerning whether or not to substantiate the allegations. Guidance is provided for completing these inventory tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents an overview of factors that put elderly American Indians at risk for domestic abuse and neglect. Protective factors that contribute to family and tribal resiliency are also discussed. Although little is known about elder abuse among Indians, it is possible that older individuals both on and off the reservation are more at risk today than ever before. On the other hand, non-Indians can learn much from Indian people about building and maintaining family and cultural strenghts that may reduce or prevent mistreatment of the elderly and other famly members. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the way that different notions of social contract and community change the way in which we can look at the obligations guardians have to their charges. A brief analysis of the underpinnings of autonomy based (minimalist) and beneficence based (non-minimalist) ethics is given and the consequences of such points of view are scrutinized. This paper argues that the minimalist ethic is flawed in theory as well as practice. The consequences for guardians of these theories is sketched. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates the influence of psychological elder abuse on life satisfaction levels in Thailand. This study also analyses the stress-buffering effect of social participation on the life satisfaction levels of Thai mentally abused elderly. Elder abuse has been proven to dramatically reduce Thai elders' levels of life satisfaction as their function in society shrinks owing to ageism. As a result, individuals are more likely to lose their independence and status and be forced to rely on others, increasing the danger of abuse. Elder abuse has a more significant negative impact on life satisfaction levels among Thai older women. Nonetheless, the mentally abused elderly who participate in social activities are happier than those who do not. Thai elders who live with their daughters are more satisfied in life than those who do not, but living with adult offspring does not assist psychologically abused elders in escaping their psychological suffering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology-facilitated abuse (TFA) is of growing concern and is a form of elder abuse. There is limited TFA research in general population samples in the U.S. among older adults. Researchers conducted a survey of behavior-based forms of TFA experiences in a nationally representative sample of n = 1,011 U.S. adults ages 50 and older. Within this sample, 63.8% of respondents reported some experience of TFA during their lifetime. Latent class analyses were applied to understand the pattern of older adults' exposure to ten different forms of TFA resulting in three classes distinguished by the number of different TFA types experienced: low TFA (55%), low-mid TFA (40%) and high TFA (5%). Socio-economic characteristics associated with these TFA profiles, as well as perpetrator relationship, post-TFA behaviors, and resulting harms associated with the TFA experiences, were examined to inform research, prevention, and intervention activities. Attention across different sectors to TFA among older adults is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elder abuse is globally considered a hidden problem with great variations in its conceptualization across cultures, non-uniformity in understanding, and manifestations of abuse and neglect. Currently, there are no validated or culturally adapted screening measures for elder abuse in South Africa. The aim of this study was to test the cultural appropriateness of the Elder Abuse Screening Tool (EAST) and the Caregiver Abuse Screen (CASE) in two regions and four languages in South Africa. Using a cognitive interviewing methodology, 23 carers and 19 older adults were interviewed. Findings show that questions in the EAST and CASE are generally well understood, but that adaptations of both tools are necessary for use within South Africa. Fear, knowledge, and experience of crime also showed that strangers, like family, deliberately use deception to build trust and abuse. Further validation is needed to determine suitable scoring and use by health and social care practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]