NCJ Number
112513
Date Published
1988
Length
160 pages
Annotation
This text provides social service, legal, and health care professionals with practical guidelines, insights, and strategies for detecting, assessing, and intervening with competent elderly victims of intentional physical, psychological, and financial abuse and neglect by family members.
Abstract
The book is based on knowledge gained from direct work with victims, training of professionals, and case consultation. A theoretical framework for understanding elder mistreatment is presented. Elder mistreatment is defined, its incidence is discussed, and characteristics of both victims and perpetrators and risk factors are delineated. The relationship between gerontological and family violence and elder mistreatment also is explored. An extensive review is provided of the signs and symptoms of mistreatment, and factors hampering its detection are examined. A framework for assessment is provided that focuses on case characteristics, victim health status, and the availability of support systems and community resources. This framework then is used as the basis for intervention in the areas of counseling and treatment, respite and other assistance, education, law enforcement, and living arrangements. The response of six professionals, representing law, medicine, social work, and nursing, to case studies illustrate various professional roles in intervention. Direct testimony from victims of mistreatment discuss the victimization and the healing process. Future directions for research, training, and program development are discussed. Mistreatment identification and assessment instruments are appended. 33 references.