Kentucky's Local Elder Abuse Coordinating Councils: a model for other states

In 1998 Kentucky's Local Coordinating Councils on Elder Abuse (LCCEAs) were established to intervene in cases of elder abuse in local communities. As of 2008 there were 39 LCCEAs in the state, covering 112 of Kentucky's 120 counties. This study was an attempt to understand a concerted statewide multidisciplinary team (MDT) effort related to elder abuse. Survey questions examined the roles, processes, varieties, and accomplishments of these councils. Nearly half of the councils have been in existence for less than 3 years. Councils provided a range of services from expert consultation to service provided for keeping members up to date about services, programs, and legislation. Roles for the councils included identifying service gaps and systemic problems and advocating for change. Half the councils conducted case reviews, and of those, most examined all types of cases. Lack of funding was a major problem for all councils. Funding came from a patchwork of sources, which suggested that it was inadequate and unreliable. The LCCEAs appear to function largely as community educators. To ensure the long-term viability of the LCCEAs and to better integrate and unify their efforts, LCCEAs need committed staffs, constant funding, clear vision and goals, and uniform and consistent outcome measures

Handbook of LGBT Elders An Interdisciplinary Approach to Principles, Practices, and Policies

This groundbreaking resource presents a wealth of findings and perspectives previously unseen in the LGBT literature. Its focus on psychological, sociopolitical and care delivery issues affecting LGBT elders reveals both the nuanced interplay between diverse sources of identity and multiple sources of stigma and discrimination. Specific chapters highlight challenges and resiliencies impacting subpopulations (e.g., racial groups, veterans, immigrants), examine employment and advocacy issues, discuss later-life concerns in context and offer guidelines for relevant, ethical practice. Contributors represent a wide range of fields from psychiatry and gerontology to public health and public policy, reflecting the scope and needs of this diverse and complex population

A glass half full: the dubious history of elder abuse policy

This article highlights the brief 30-year history of major U.S. policies that address elder abuse. The history of elder abuse policy is checkered and incomplete, reflecting a lack of comprehensive federal legislation. We begin our review by discussing the scope of elder abuse policy and, in particular, the Social Security Block Grant, which has become the sole source of federal aid for Adult Protective Services programs. The other source of federal aid, typically for helping efforts by Area Agencies on Aging, is the Older Americans Act. We document the incremental but increasing attention paid to elder abuse by chronicling key initiatives, including early congressional reports and hearings; White House Conferences on Aging; and efforts by pioneers such as Mario Biaggi, Claude Pepper, John Breaux, and Orin Hatch-efforts that we believe have led to the various introductions of the Elder Justice Act

Exploring caregiving stressors and informal resources among Alzheimer's caregivers

Background: We use Pearlin's Stress Process Model to examine the objective stressors and subjective burdens of caregiving among family members who care for people with Alzheimer's disease. We ask how these factors are related, whether and how these factors are related to caregivers’ depressive symptoms, and whether their impact on caregivers’ mental health is reduced by caregivers’ informal resources. Methods: OLS regression analyses were used to examine the processes hypothesized by the stress process model using baseline and screen data from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health II (REACH II) study. Analysis was conducted using R. Results: Social structural disadvantages have little effect on the stress of caregiving. However, women experience greater subjective burden and greater depressive symptoms. The most important objective stressor is the care recipient's behavior problems, but its effects are mostly explained by subjective burden. Subjective burden tends to deplete caregivers’ informal psychosocial resources, but this does not explain why subjective burden is the most important determinant of depressive symptoms. Informal psychosocial resources do not play an important role in reducing the impact of caregiving stress on depressive symptoms. Discussion: This study suggests that without a full understanding of the effects of the burden of caregiving, any interventions or preventive actions will be of limited utility. Researchers and policymakers should consider the utility of providing tangible services to offset the negative impact of caregiving

WorldView Environmental Scan on Elder Abuse

In response to a growing and worldwide recognition of elder abuse, the WorldView Environmental Scan on Elder Abuse was undertaken. It represented an attempt to collect both information on the nature of the problem of elder abuse and responses to it from a global perspective. The first of its kind, the Scan gathered information about elder abuse as well as on related legislation and policy, services and programs, educational resources and needs, training, and past and ongoing research. A total of 53 countries responded to the survey questionnaire, with 362 respondents representing the six world regions designated by the World Health Organization. Findings revealed that factors contributing to elder abuse include changing social and economic structures, isolation of victims, inadequate knowledge of laws and services, intergenerational conflict, and poverty. Barriers to seeking resources to intervene and protect older adults include the culture of the country, language issues, literacy, stigma, lack of mobility, lack of funding, and insufficient familiarity with and access to the internet. The data serve as a catalyst to take action, both globally and nationally, while emphasizing the changes necessary to protect the rights and dignity of older adults