Elder Abuse Resources

Definition:

• Elder Abuse Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements [4.00 MB, 124 Pages, 508]
  This document presents uniform definitions and data elements for use in surveillance of elder abuse.

Fact Sheet:

• Preventing Elder Abuse Fact Sheet [513 KB, 2 Pages]
  CDC’s fact sheet that includes definitions, consequences, and prevention strategies for preventing elder abuse.

CDC Reports:

• Connecting the Dots [2.51 MB, 16 Pages, 508]
  This brief shares research on the connections between different forms of violence and lists specific risk and protective factors for elder abuse and neglect.
• World Report on Violence and Health [148 KB, 24 Pages, 508]
  This report is the first comprehensive review of violence on a global scale. Chapter 5 provides detailed information on elder abuse.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWRs):

• Logan JE, Haileyesus T, Ertl A, Rostad WL, Herbst JH. Nonfatal Assaults and Homicides Among Adults Aged ≥60 Years – United States, 2002-2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019 Apr 5;68(13):297-302. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6813a1.

CDC Data Sources:

• National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP)
  NEISS-AIP provides nationally representative data about all types and causes of nonfatal injuries treated in hospital emergency departments throughout the United States. CDC uses NEISS-AIP data to generate national estimates of nonfatal injuries. See also NEISS Coding Manual and data highlights.
• National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey
  The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey collects data on the use and provision of ambulatory care services in hospital emergency and outpatient departments.
• National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)
  NVDRS is a state-based surveillance system developed by CDC. These data inform the development, implementation, and evaluation of violence prevention strategies, which can ultimately save lives.
• Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS)
  WISQARS is an interactive database that provides national injury-related morbidity and mortality data used for research and for making informed public health decisions.

Other Federal Data Sources:

• Crimes Against the Elderly, 2003-2013
  This report presents estimates on property and fatal and nonfatal violent victimization against persons age 65 or older from 2003-2013
• National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS)
  NAMRS is a national reporting system of adult protective services (APS) programs. NAMRS data come from states APS systems that voluntarily report the data to the NAMRS. Information collected include qualitative and quantitative data on APS practices and policies, outcomes of maltreatment investigations of older adults and adults with disabilities
• National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
  NCVS provides information on criminal victimization in the United States. This information is provided for the population as a whole as well as for segments of the population such as women, the elderly, members of various racial groups, city dwellers, or other groups.
• National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
  NIBRS is an incident-based reporting system in which agencies collect data on each single crime occurrence. NIBRS data come from local, state, and federal automated records’ systems.

Federal Resources:

• National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA)
  NCEA directed by the U.S. Administration on Aging, is committed to helping national, state, and local partners in the field of elder abuse to ensure that older Americans will live with dignity, integrity, independence, and without abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Eldercare Locator
  Eldercare Locator, a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging, connects older adults and their families to services.
• National Institutes of Health / National Institute on Aging (NIA)
  NIA leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. The NIA has sponsors developmental research that will ultimately provide the scientific basis for understanding, preventing, and treating elder mistreatment.
• National Offices of Violence Prevention Network
  The National Offices of Violence Prevention Network is a coalition of local governments committed to reimagining public safety. The newly formed Network brings together the leaders of civilian local government offices dedicated to community-driven safety solutions, known as offices of violence prevention (OVPs).
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
  ASPE advises the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on policy development in health, disability, human services, data, and science, and provides advice and analysis on economic policy. ASPE conducts research and evaluation studies, develops policy analyses, and estimates the cost and benefits of policy alternatives under consideration by the Department or by Congress.
• U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institutes of Justice (NIJ)
  NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice dedicated to researching crime control and justice issues. NIJ’s primary objectives regarding elder mistreatment are to identify promising, emerging practices and evaluate their effectiveness in improving prevention, detection, and intervention efforts.
• U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
  The OVC was established to oversee diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. The OVC Web site has a page specifically for victims of elder abuse and links to many agencies that will assist a senior following a victimization.
• National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center
  This Resource Center provides support, technical assistance, and training to the 53 state Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs and their statewide networks of almost 600 regional (local) programs. The Center’s objectives are to enhance the skills, knowledge, and management capacity of the state programs to enable them to handle resident complaints and represent resident interests (individual and systemic advocacy).

Non-Federal Resources:

• WHO Report on Tackling abuse of older people: five priorities for the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030
  The purpose of this document is to present the priorities for tackling abuse of older people in a coordinated, strategic way within the Decade.
• American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Law and Aging
  The ABA Commission on Law and Aging works to strengthen and secure the legal rights, dignity, autonomy, quality of life, and quality of care of elders by supporting and initiating research, policy development, technical assistance, advocacy, education, and training.
• Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect, University of California Irvine
  This Center provides medical, forensic, and victim services to abused and neglected seniors and serves as a “living laboratory” of innovative approaches. Statewide and nationally, the Center of Excellence serves as a central source of technical assistance, best practice information, multidisciplinary training, useful research, and relevant policy issues in California.
• Clearinghouse on Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly (CANE)
  CANE is the nation’s largest computerized catalog of elder abuse literature. With over 6,000 entries, you can search CANE’s database to obtain references pertaining to many aspects of elder abuse and neglect, and the conditions that impact elder mistreatment.
• International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA)
  INPEA is an organization dedicated to the global dissemination of information as part of its commitment to the world-wide prevention of the abuse of older people. The organization’s aim is to increase society’s ability, through international collaboration, to recognize and respond to the mistreatment of older people in whatever setting it might occur, so that the latter years of life will be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA)
  NAPSA is a national nonprofit 501 (c) (6) organization formed in 1989 to provide state Adult Protective Services program administrators and staff with a forum for sharing information, solving problems, and improving the quality of services for victims of elder and vulnerable adult abuse.
• National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA)
  NCPEA is an association of researchers, practitioners, educators, and advocates dedicated to protecting the safety, security, and dignity of America’s most vulnerable citizens. NCPEA’s mission is to prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons and adults with disabilities.
• National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA)
  NASUA is a nonprofit association representing the nation’s 56 officially designated state and territorial agencies on aging. Its mission is to advance social, health, and economic policies responsive to the needs of a diverse aging population and to enhance the capacity of its membership to promote the rights, dignity, and independence of and expand opportunities and resources for current and future generations of older persons, adults with disabilities, and their families.
• Violence Prevention Evidence Base
  This database provides access to abstracts from published studies that have measured the effectiveness of interventions to prevent violence.