NCJ Number
188759
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect Volume: 12 Issue: 3/4 Dated: 2000 Pages: 95-122
Date Published
2000
Length
28 pages
Annotation
Countering the generally reactive community approach to the prevention and treatment of elder abuse, this study used the analysis of local elder abuse case data to estimate the incidence of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and to measure the risk factors that predict elder abuse in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Abstract
The authors also compare the model of intervention used in Florida and elsewhere to best-practice models that incorporate elements of domestic violence treatment models. Interviews were conducted with 27 informants in the Department of Children and Families, county police and fire rescue units, the courts, the State Attorney's Office, and various social service providers. The study also reviewed the leading research literature on elder abuse and other forms of family violence. Further, a descriptive analysis was conducted of hand-tabulated elder abuse cases from the files of the Miami-Dade County Police; and fuller statistical analyses were performed on closed child abuse and elder abuse cases from computerized data files at the local district office of the Department of Children and Families, covering the period July 1997 through June 1998. During the study period, the number of reported incidents of elder abuse in Miami-Dade County was dramatically smaller than (only about half) the national rate. This may be due to the reluctance of Hispanics or Latinos to report intrafamilial abuse. Moreover, in Florida, individuals who speak a language other than English apparently face formidable barriers in getting reports of abuse accepted and recorded when they call the State's abuse hotline. The analysis shows that several key data items required for analyzing Adult Protective Services abuse cases either were not collected, were inconsistently coded, or were not computerized. This article discusses alternative service approaches as well as the following areas of public education and training: data collection, substance abuse, sexual abuse, risk factors, data analysis, domestic violence model, court procedures, and cultural variations. 2 tables, 2 charts, 5 notes, and 23 references