Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America

Abstract

Since the late 1970s when Congressman Claude Pepper held widely publicized hearings on the mistreatment of the elderly, policy makers practitioners have sought ways to protect older Americans from physical, psychological, financial abuse. Yet, during the last 20 years fewer than 50 articles have addressed the shameful problem that abusersa and sometimes the abused themselvesa want to conceal. Elder Mistreatment in an Aging America takes a giant step toward broadening our understanding of the mistreatment of the elderly recommends specific research funding strategies that can be used to deepen it. The book includes a discussion of the conceptual, methodological, logistical issues needed to create a solid research base as well as the ethical concerns that must be considered when working with older subjects. It also looks at problems in determination of a reporta (TM)s reliability the role of physicians, EMTs, others who are among the first to recognize situations of mistreatment. Elder Mistreatment in an Aging America will be of interest to anyone concerned about the elderly ways to intervene when abuse is suspected, including family members, caregivers, advocates for the elderly. It will also be of interest to researchers, research sponsors, policy makers who need to know how to advance our knowledge of this problem.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source., 2013 · DOI ↗