Five-year all-cause mortality rates across five categories of substantiated elder abuse occurring in the community

ABSTRACT

Elder abuse increases the likelihood of early mortality, but little is known regarding which types of abuse may be resulting in the greatest mortality risk. This study included N = 1,670 cases of substantiated elder abuse and estimated the 5-year all-cause mortality for five types of elder abuse (caregiver neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, and polyvictimization). Statistically significant differences in 5-year mortality risks were found between abuse types and across gender. Caregiver neglect and financial exploitation had the lowest survival rates, underscoring the value of considering the long-term consequences associated with different forms of abuse. Likewise, mortality differences between genders and abuse types indicate the need to consider this interaction in elder abuse case investigations and responses. Further mortality studies are needed in this population to better understand these patterns and implications for public health and clinical management of community-dwelling elder abuse victims.     

Financial Exploitation of Elders: Analysis of Risk Factors Based on County Adult Protective Services Data

ABSTRACT

While all types of elder abuse and neglect are serious problems affecting thousands of vulnerable elders, financial exploitation has especially serious implications for the victims’ economic well-being and quality of life, because it may deprive the victims of their life savings and assets and thus their economic foundation for independence. In this study, data from the case files of a county adult protective services program were analyzed to identify risk factors associated with financial exploitation of and mismanagement by elders. The elders who were financially exploited were, on average, in their late seventies and tended to be cognitively impaired. We also found that owner-occupant elders were especially vulnerable to exploitation and that financial mismanagement and exploitation often occurred together. Approximately 60% of the perpetrators were relatives of the elderly victims, mostly their adult children, and the rest of the perpetrators were not related to the victims. Implications for interventions include case management for frail, cognitively impaired elders; preventive educational programs; and ongoing collaboration among adult protective services, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies.     

The Social Vulnerability Scale for Older Adults: An Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analytic Study

The Social Vulnerability Scale (SVS), a 22-item informant report of vulnerability to exploitation and, in particular, financial exploitation of older adults, was administered to 266 respondents who assessed the social vulnerability of a significant other aged 50 years or over, either a person with dementia or other neurological condition (n?=?116), or a healthy adult (n?=?150). Exploratory factor analysis in the combined sample revealed a 15-item two-factor solution labeled gullibility and credulity. Stability in factor structure was established in an independent sample (n?=?123) using confirmatory factor analysis, and sound reliability (internal consistency) and validity (known-groups) were demonstrated. The SVS15 is a potentially useful instrument for assessing older adults' vulnerability to exploitation.     

Elder Abuse and Neglect in South Africa: A Case of Marginalization,Disrespect, Exploitation and Violence

ABSTRACT

The problem of elder abuse and neglect in South Africa is widespread, but the definition of abuse remains problematic. An expanded typology is needed to classify certain types of abuse reported commonly, such as marginalization, disrespect, exploitation and violence. The history of elder abuse and responses is traced, relevant legislation and selected intervention programs are reviewed, and research and the status of elder abuse are evaluated. Interventions to address sociostructural factors that impact elders' settings, increase their vulnerability, and diminish their ability to realize human rights can contribute to an improvement in their condition and a reduction in abuse and rights violations in the long-term.     

Assessing Knowledge of Elder Financial Abuse: A First Step in Enhancing Prosecutions

Financial exploitation by a family member is the most common form of elder mistreatment; yet, it is a difficult crime to detect and prosecute. Psychologists have traditionally assisted prosecutors by assessing decisional capacity and opining in court whether an alleged victim was able to consent to the contested transactions. This article proposes and evaluates a novel form of psychological expertise in financial abuse trials—social framework testimony to reeducate jurors who are misinformed about aspects of this largely hidden crime. Findings suggest that, as in cases of child and spousal abuse, social framework testimony on the general dispositional and situational factors inherent in elder financial abuse may enhance prosecutions.     

The Illusions and Juxtapositions of Commercial Sexual Exploitation among Youth: Identifying Effective Street-Outreach Strategies

To explore sexually exploited youths' perspectives of how street outreach workers can effectively provide outreach and connections to services, we conducted qualitative interviews with 13 female participants, ages 14 to 22, in a Midwest U.S. city. Participants reported multiple types of exploitation, most first exploited by age 13, plus substance use and recurrent homelessness. Nearly all had a pimp, and all used the internet as a venue for sexual exploitation. Participants wanted outreach workers to use “soft words” to refer to exploitation. They expressed contradictory images of their “boyfriend” pimps and their exploitation. They wanted outreach workers to “provide resources,” “be nonjudgmental,” “listen,” and “care.” Street outreach can be one way to support sexually exploited youth but should occur in multiple settings.     

Informal Support Networks Meet Health needs of Rural Elderly

While major studies of informal support systems have been conducted in urban areas, it is important to gain comparable knowledge for the rural and small town communities in which so many older people live. This exploratory study had as its overall purpose to examine the association between community based informal support networks and the ability of older adults to carry out daily activities in a rural area-the measure of the functional health status of the person. Within a rural perspective the outcome of the study included: replication of urban data in terms of network identification; the generation for further study of two hypotheses related to the association of network functionality and functional health and one hypothesis related to the association of network proximity and functionality; and recommendations of unstudied areas of concern for a better understanding of network functionality.     

Challenges of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in India Need for Legislative Reforms in Partnership with the Social-Work Profession

This article examines the challenges of commercial sexual exploitation of children in India, ranging from the traditional religion-sanctioned commercial sexual exploitation of children, to child trafficking for brothel-based prostitution, to the recent trends in child-sex tourism. It then reviews India's legislation to deal with these problems. Identifying the gaps, the article concludes with recommendations for a child rights-based comprehensive legislation for child protection and the role of the social-work profession to support such legislation.     

论周恩来的经济开放思想

新中国成立之初,周恩来就提出了经济对内对外开放的思想,周恩来的经济开放思想的丰富内容为邓小平改革开放思想提供有益的探索和启示,是邓小平改革开放理论的逻辑起点。     

上海非物质文化遗产的保护与旅游开发

非物质文化遗产被誉为＂人类精神的家园＂,应该加以珍视。在保护的基础上,非物质文化遗产可以进行适当旅游开发。本文以大都市上海为背景,廓清了非物质文化遗产的特色、优势、作用、影响,以使非物质文化遗产重新走入大众视野,焕发出盎然生机,实现非物质文化遗产保护与旅游开发的＂双赢＂。