Responding to Elder Abuse: What Judges and Court Personnel Should Know (DVD)

• NCJ Number: 223415
• Date Published: August 2010
• Length: 0 pages
• Publication Series: OVC Videos
• Grant Number(s): GS-23F-0094K
• Agencies: OVC
• Publication Type: Training; Instructional Material

Annotation

This DVD uses information and comments of elder abuse victims, court personnel, and victim-service providers, coupled with related images, to inform judges and other court personnel about issues in making courts more accessible, friendly, and effective in dealing with elder abuse cases.

Abstract

Elder abuse is defined as the financial, physical, sexual or emotional abuse of an elderly person, as well as neglect. The latter may not involve a perpetrator, but can be due to circumstances caused by lack of financial resources, basic services for survival, and isolation. The prevalence of elderly abuse is noted in the DVD, along with the failure to report it to agencies that can intervene on behalf of the victim. Court personnel are advised of the importance of having distinctive environments and procedures that are suited to the physical limitations and needs of elderly victims. This can include having designated venues or scheduled times when courts will focus exclusively on elderly abuse cases. It also means designing court environments that can be easily navigated by handicapped individuals, as well as using court personnel appropriately trained to manage the procedures and dispositions of elder abuse cases. One contributor to the DVD profiles his jurisdiction's elder justice center, which coordinates court services and interventions for elder abuse cases. Other contributors to the DVD emphasize the importance of collaboration among the courts and community services agencies that provide various services to the elderly. This facilitates court efforts in referring victims to appropriate services and interventions.