Physical mistreatment in persons with Alzheimer's disease.

Physical mistreatment has been estimated to affect 2 million older persons each year and dramatically affects health outcomes. While researchers have attempted to examine risk factors for specific forms of abuse, many have been able to focus on only victim or perpetrator characteristics, or a limited number of psychosocial variables at any one time. Additionally, data on risk factors for subgroups such as persons with Alzheimer's disease who may have heightened and/or unique risk profiles has also been limited.

Elder self-neglect and abuse and mortality risk in a community-dwelling population.

Context: Both elder self-neglect and abuse have become increasingly prominent public health issues. The association of either elder self-neglect or abuse with mortality remains unclear.

Objective: To examine the relationship of elder self-neglect or abuse reported to social services agencies with all-cause mortality among a community-dwelling elderly population.

Elder self-neglect: a discussion of a social typology.

This article presents a theoretical framework for the study of social and behavioral factors associated with elder self-neglect. The model presented reflects the authors' beliefs that a risk-vulnerability model offers a useful framework from which to study all forms of elder mistreatment, as well as elder self-neglect. This model has particular utility, because it can begin to define the elements of risk and vulnerability that may be addressed using preventative measures as opposed to solely addressing intervention, which is often the case when addressing elder mistreatment and self-neglect.

Verbal mistreatment in older adults:a look at persons with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers in the state of Florida.

Purpose: This study examined verbal aggression in a sample of community dwelling older adults with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using the Risk and Vulnerability model as a means for identifying factors associated with verbal mistreatment in caregiver/patient dyads.

Design And Methods: Subjects were recruited in the State of Florida through their association with state-funded memory disorder clinics or with local chapters of the Alzheimer's Association. The sample for this analysis consisted of 254 caregivers who completed both a questionnaire and an in-home interview between the years 1998 and 2002.

Abuse and neglect in older adults with Alzheimer's disease.

Elder mistreatment is a serious issue that effects the lives of thousands of older adults and results in emotional difficulties, such as depression,feelings of inadequacy, self-loathing, and lowered self-esteem. It has been shown to result in family distress, impaired life functioning, and difficulties with cognition and has been linked to health problems,such as immunologic dysfunction, and increased mortality. As the population ages, and with it the numbers of persons afflicted by diseases such as Alzheimer's, understanding and recognizing elder mistreatment becomes an important factor in maintaining quality of life for older adults.

Neglect assessment in urban emergency departments and confirmation by an expert clinical team.

Background: Elder neglect accounts for over 70% of all adult protective services reports in the nation annually, and it has been estimated that there are over 70,000 new cases each year. The purpose of this study was to conduct elder neglect research in the emergency department (ED), using a dyadic vulnerability/risk-profiling framework for elder neglect.

Methods: Patients were recruited through four EDs in New York and Tampa from the beginning of February 2001 through the end of September 2003.

Dyadic vulnerability and risk profiling for elder neglect.

Purpose: Neglect of older adults accounts for 60% to 70% of all elder-mistreatment reports made to adult protective services. The purpose of this article is to report data from research, using a risk-and-vulnerability model, that captures the independent contributions of both the elder and the caregiver as they relate to the outcome of neglect.

Methods: Between February 2001 and September 2003, older adults were screened and recruited through four emergency departments in New York and Tampa.

Using PDAs for data collection.

Advances in handheld computer technology are making data collection faster, easier, and more accurate. In this article, the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) to collect data for a study on elder neglect is described and evaluated. Methods for integrating this technology into a research study are discussed as are suggestions for increasing the performance of data collectors using these devices.