Coordinating Elder Abuse Prevention and Treatment Across Organizations in the USA

Abstract

Issues related to elder abuse, including research, prevention, and treatment are addressed in the USA by several federal agencies, at the state level, and in over 3000 counties across the 50 states. Numerous nonprofit and professional organizations work to provide information and services designed to prevent elder abuse and to assist the victims. Although each organization plays an important role, minimal levels of funding restrict what can be accomplished. There is limited coordination across agencies, and accordingly there are gaps and duplication of efforts. In 2011, the US Government Accountability Office issued a report entitled: “Stronger Federal Leadership Could Enhance National Response to Elder Abuse”. Most states in the USA have mandatory reporting laws, which require such entities as banks or physicians to report instances of abuse to an official agency or to the police. Federal agencies involved in elder abuse issues include the Administration on Aging, which funds the National Center on Elder Abuse and sponsors other programs and seminars, and the National Institute of Justice which is interested in the extent to which elder abuse represents criminal activity and funds several research projects. The Center for Disease Control publishes a fact sheet and reports on the topic. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program under the Department of Health and Human Services responds to the issues of alleged abuse in nursing homes and inspects nursing homes on a regular basis. Among private nonprofit agencies, the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA) unites researchers, practitioners, educators, and advocates to work toward preventing elder abuse. Virtually, every county in the USA has an adult protective services agency, which takes reports of elder abuse and investigates them. Many of these county level agencies belong to a national organization, the National Adult Protective Services Association. This chapter describes the activities of these various organizational entities, both federal and nonfederal, and discusses the extent to which the GAO report has been influential in guiding current activities in the field.