This article provides recommendations regarding medical forensic issues related to elder abuse and neglect for use by elder abuse, health, and justice practitioners.
The recommendations of the expert working group on elder abuse and neglect are: (1) to consolidate and disseminate the existing body of knowledge regarding this subject; (2) to enhance the multidisciplinary response to elder abuse and neglect through the development of multidisciplinary teams; (3) to conduct cross-training of the different disciplines that respond to victims of elder abuse and neglect; (4) to develop assessment tools to identify the problem; (5) to fund and develop forensic centers on elder abuse; and (6) to conduct research to develop the scientific literature. The working group also offered specific recommendations to adult protective services, educators, funeral home directors and staff, health care providers, law enforcement and first responders, medical examiners, prosecutors, regulatory agencies, and researchers. The recommendations were prepared by a working group of experts representing diverse disciplines that address the problem of elder abuse and neglect. The project was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and was lead by the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging with the assistance of the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine (ABA Commission). The ABA Commission set out to meet the goals of: (1) establishing an expert working group; (2) identifying, reviewing, and refining the suggestions of the working group and developing priorities among them; (3) formulating recommendations for implementing the ideas advanced by the working group; (4) developing and publishing a report identifying the problems and providing the recommendations; and (5) promoting the report and recommendations to relevant professional associations and groups. A research agenda is set forth for future research in the area of elder abuse and neglect that includes attention to psychosocial risk factors and indicators and malnutrition and dehydration. Notes