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Handbook of LGBT Elders pp 325–341Cite as

An Overview of Aging and Mistreatment of LGBT Elders

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Abstract

Many older adults experience their later life as a time when they may be able to enjoy the company of family and friends to an extent not possible during their working years. Most older adults, including those who are LGBT, remain in their homes as they age; most enjoy good and appropriate treatment by their family members, their extended family, and their services providers. However, for some older adults, old age is marred by unhealthy dependencies of families, friends, and others to the point that the older adult may experience abuse, neglect, and exploitation discretely or in escalation. Such harsh and life-threatening treatment of individuals in later life can occur in community as well as facility settings, as a single occurrence or over a protracted period of time. Elder mistreatment is thought to affect one in nine older adults, with 23.5 instances of mistreatment going unreported for each one reported to authorities.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Pamela B. Teaster

  2. University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Amanda E. Sokan

Authors
  1. Amanda E. Sokan
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  2. Pamela B. Teaster
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amanda E. Sokan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Debra A. Harley

  2. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Pamela B. Teaster

Learning Exercises

Learning Exercises

Self-Check Questions

  1. 1.

    Explain what is meant by physical abuse.

  2. 2.

    Explain what is meant by neglect by a caregiver.

  3. 3.

    Discuss differences between elder abuse in community versus facility settings.

  4. 4.

    Characterize who are most often the victims of elder abuse.

  5. 5.

    What services are available for those elders who have been abused in community settings? In facility settings?

Experimental Exercises

  1. 1.

    Interview an APS staff member about a case of exploitation that he or she has worked recently.

  2. 2.

    Interview Long-Term Care Ombudsman about a case of exploitation that he or she has worked recently.

  3. 3.

    List ways that you could prevent elder abuse.

Multiple-Choice Questions

  1. 1.

    In what setting do we think elder mistreatment occurs most often?

    1. (a)

      Community settings

    2. (b)

      Facility settings

  2. 2.

    What type of abuse is not considered mistreatment?

    1. (a)

      Physical abuse

    2. (b)

      Neglect

    3. (c)

      Exploitation

    4. (d)

      Self-neglect

  3. 3.

    All of the below are examples of a trusted other except:

    1. (a)

      Banker

    2. (b)

      Family member

    3. (c)

      Stranger

    4. (d)

      Home health worker

  4. 4.

    Who are most likely perpetrators in community settings?

    1. (a)

      Repair persons

    2. (b)

      Housecleaners

    3. (c)

      Bankers

    4. (d)

      Family members

  5. 5.

    A holiday crime occurred when a woman was electrocuted with a stun gun and robbed after allowing someone into her home whom she thought was a pharmacist delivering medications. Is this a crime of:

    1. (a)

      Predation

    2. (b)

      Desperation

    3. (c)

      Occasion

    4. (d)

      None of the above

  6. 6.

    What type of abuse constitutes the bulk of APS caseloads?

    1. (a)

      Abuse

    2. (b)

      Neglect

    3. (c)

      Exploitation

    4. (d)

      Self-neglect

  7. 7.

    Which of the entities below does not address elder mistreatment?

    1. (a)

      Police

    2. (b)

      Long-term care ombudsman

    3. (c)

      Adult Protective Services

    4. (d)

      None of the above

    5. (e)

      All of the above

  8. 8.

    Which of the entities below is the most frequent program of first report when there is an allegation of the abuse of an elder?

    1. (a)

      Police

    2. (b)

      Long-term care ombudsman

    3. (c)

      Adult Protective Services

    4. (d)

      None of the above

    5. (e)

      All of the above

  9. 9.

    Which piece of legislation most directly affects the issue of elder mistreatment?

    1. (a)

      Social Security Act

    2. (b)

      Medicare

    3. (c)

      The Elder Justice Act

    4. (d)

      Age Discrimination in Employment Act

  10. 10.

    What is the most hidden form of elder mistreatment?

    1. (a)

      Sexual abuse

    2. (b)

      Physical abuse

    3. (c)

      Psychological abuse

    4. (d)

      Self-neglect

Key for multiple-choice questions

  • 1-a

  • 2-d

  • 3-c

  • 4-d

  • 5-c

  • 6-d

  • 7-e

  • 8-e

  • 9-c

  • 10-d

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Sokan, A.E., Teaster, P.B. (2016). An Overview of Aging and Mistreatment of LGBT Elders. In: Harley, D., Teaster, P. (eds) Handbook of LGBT Elders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03623-6_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03623-6_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-03622-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-03623-6

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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