Elderly Victims of Family Abuse,Neglect, and Maltreatment:

Analysis was conducted on 30 cases of elder abuse, neglect, and maltreatment of the elderly seen by attorneys in a legal aid agency in Detroit between 1979 and 1981. The data were collected as part of a larger study of elder abuse cases seen by a variety of agencies in the Detroit area. Analysis revealed that most of the victims suffered from more than one type of abuse or maltreatment. As might be expected, the most common type of abuse seen in the legal aid agency was financial abuse. The study also showed that a legal agency can provide a type of service other agencies cannot provide. These services include: court actions, non-court actions which require the service of a lawyer, and non-legal actions in which an attorney can bring about action through the perceived threat of court action.