Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) jointly introduced a publication regarding Elder Abuse. The publication states, “[it] is intended to serve as a starting point for advancing surveillance, research, and practice aimed at preventing” Elder Abuse. What This Means The report, titled Elder Abuse Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Core Data Elements, does several things for defining Elder Abuse, including:
- Provides a Uniform Definition of Elder Abuse – Elder Abuse, not unlike other kinds of abuse, can sometimes be subjective or even unclear. Part of that is due to an inconsistant definition. The recent publication clearly defines Elder Abuse, including the many aspects of Elder Abuse as well as financial abuse (such as breach of conservatorship, financial misappropriation, and undue influence).
- Creates National Surveillance – According to the CDC report, “the goals of Elder Abuse surveillance are to obtain an estimate of the number of people who are affected by Elder Abuse and to describe the characteristics of people affected, the number and types of Elder Abuse episodes, the associated injuries, and other consequences.”
- Standardizes Terminology – Agencies like Adult Protective Services, local and state Law Enforcement and long-term care facilities often run into communication barriers due to a lack of standardized terminology.
- Registers Previously Collected Data – The joint report compiles previously collected data and statistics.
- Unifies Collected Data – Data collected by national, state, and local agencies is centralized.
- Leads to National Measurable Data – Moving forward, there is national, measurable data that can be used to improve legislature, help report and prevent Elder Abuse and provide resources for the agencies and elderly they protect and/or provide for.
- A person who is 60 years or older.
- Note, 60 years old is the age of eligibility under the Older American’s Act.
- “An intentional act or failure to act by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult.”
- Includes: emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
- “Verbal or nonverbal behavior that results in the infliction of anguish, mental pain, fear, or distress, that is perpetrated by a caregiver or other person who stands in a trust relationship to the elder.”
- Includes: harassment, humiliation, isolation, and threats.
- “The intentional use of physical force that results in acute or chronic illness, bodily injury, physical pain, functional impairment, distress, or death.”
- Includes: hitting, biting, pushing, burning, hair pulling and abuse of medications.
- “Forced and/or unwanted sexual interaction (touching and non-touching acts) of any kind with an older adult.”
- Includes: voyeurism and sexual harassment (verbal or behavioral).
- “Failure by a caregiver or other person in a trust relationship to protect an elder from harm or the failure to meet needs for essential…care.”
- Includes: medical care, safety, nutrition, shelter, and hygiene.