Characteristics of Older Defendants Referred for Forensic Evaluations.

This study aimed to provide a descriptive analysis of the geriatric forensic population referred to a Regional Forensic Psychiatric Service by the court for evaluation (as inpatient, outpatient, or while incarcerated) in New Zealand, over a 7-year period. Data were collected retrospectively from forensic hospital records, including court-ordered reports for those aged 60 and older. Two-fifths (42%) of the 97 referred study subjects were diagnosed with some form of cognitive impairment such as dementia.