Project Overview

America’s population is growing older and living longer. Thus, an increasing number of older adults have the potential to be abused, neglected, or exploited by family members, other caregivers, or fiduciaries or other persons who provide services to them. Elder abuse generally refers to criminal and non-criminal abuse of persons age 60 or older perpetrated by individuals known to and trusted by the elder. It may include acts that inflict physical or psychological harm, nonconsensual sexual contact, theft of assets or property, and failure to provide basic life needs such as food, shelter, and medical care. It is estimated that as many as five incidents of elder abuse go unreported for every occurrence that is reported. Many abused older persons are too impaired, frightened, or loyal to the perpetrator to report this abuse. Therefore, it is especially important that others in the community become aware of indicators of abuse and have the appropriate knowledge and skills to intervene when necessary to protect these at-risk individuals.

Community corrections professionals may encounter elder abuse in their work with offenders and are a vital component in a community’s response to and protection of elder abuse victims. Pretrial, probation, and parole professionals may supervise offenders who are charged with elder abuse offenses or related crimes (such as domestic violence), or they may discover elder abuse during contacts with offenders. They may become aware that offenders have acquired money they are unable to account for legitimately, have access to elder’s medications, or are employed in elder care facilities with vulnerable older adults.

This four-module curriculum was adapted from its original classroom format for delivery in a series of 90-minute audio teleconferences/webcasts to enable anyone with a telephone and an Internet connection to gain information and skills to identify potential elder abuse among older persons with whom the offenders they supervise have contact. Upon completion of all four modules, participants will:

• Gain awareness of elder abuse, understand the impact on victims and the importance of taking a proactive approach to identifying and responding to situations in which elder abuse is suspected.
• Gain knowledge about types and risk factors for elder abuse, understand why it often is underreported, and learn ways of obtaining more information needed for responding appropriately when elder abuse is identified.
• Learn the indicators of potential elder abuse occurring among family members, friends, or other contacts of offenders on their caseloads.
• Make appropriate interventions when recognizing indicators of elder abuse.

Participants may earn 1.5 contact hours of continuing education credit for each successfully completed module of this FREE, APPA-accredited training.

>> View Curriculum <<

Pat Bancroft
Research Associate/Project Director
American Probation and Parole Association
2760 Research Park Drive
Lexington, KY 40511
Phone: (859) 244-8197
Fax: (859) 244-8001

This project is supported by Grant No. 2006-VF-GX-K004, awarded to the American Probation and Parole Association by the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice.