NCJ Number
216064
Date Published
2006
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Based on the policy guidance provided by the British Government's Department of Health in its publication, "No Secrets" (2000), this chapter discusses local strategies for responding to the abuse of elderly persons in the context of a broader strategy of protecting vulnerable adults from maltreatment.
Abstract
"No Secrets" focuses on the abuse of vulnerable adults, not all of whom are older people. The strategy proposed in "No Secrets" requires that local organizations and services that support older people collaborate with those who are working locally to prevent harms to other groups of vulnerable adults. Since 2000, local communities committed to implementing the policies of "No Secrets" have developed multiagency adult protection policies and procedures through an adult protection committee under the supervision of local government. A parallel group of operational staff has been created by some communities as an effective means of managing daily business, translating stated goals into action tasks, organizing training, and dealing with ongoing investigations and issues. In focusing on what is occurring in local communities in order to improve protection for vulnerable adults, including elderly persons, this chapter discusses how agencies and systems can assume additional responsibilities without obtaining additional resources; how practitioners, managers, and service commissioners are to integrate protection and prevention; and how to draw on a community's strengths and insights to develop protection measures for vulnerable adults in various community contexts. 28 references