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Advancing the Field of Elder Abuse: Future Directions and Policy Implications
Author(s) -
Dong XinQi
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.04211.x
Subject(s) - elder abuse , neglect , medicine , legislation , physical abuse , sexual abuse , psychological abuse , child abuse , verbal abuse , gerontology , suicide prevention , psychiatry , poison control , medical emergency , law , political science
Elder abuse, sometimes called elder mistreatment or elder maltreatment, includes psychological, physical, and sexual abuse; neglect (caregiver neglect and self‐neglect); and financial exploitation. Evidence suggests that one in 10 older adults experiences some form of elder abuse, but only one in 25 cases is reported to social services agencies. At the same time, elder abuse is associated with significant morbidity and premature mortality. Despite these findings, there is a great paucity in research, practice, and policy addressing the pervasive issues of elder abuse. Through my experiences as a A merican P olitical S ciences A ssociation C ongressional P olicy F ellow and H ealth and A ging P olicy F ellow working with the A dministration on C ommunity L iving ( ACL ) (previously known as the A dministration on A ging) for the last 2 years, I will describe the major functions of the ACL and highlight two major pieces of federal legislation: T he O lder A mericans A ct and the E lder J ustice A ct. I will also highlight major research gaps and future policy relevant research directions for the field of elder abuse.