TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2001//
TI  - Quantifying the problem of abuse and neglect in adults--analysis of a statewide database
JO  - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
A1  - Pavlik, V. N.
A1  - Hyman, D. J.
A1  - Festa, N. A.
A1  - Bitondo Dyer, C.
SP  - 45
EP  - 48
VL  - 49
IS  - 1
N2  - BACKGROUND: Mistreatment of adults, including abuse, neglect, and exploitation, affects more than 1.8 million older Americans. Presently, there is a lack of precise estimates of the magnitude of the problem and the variability in risk for different types of mistreatment depending on such factors as age and gender. OBJECTIVES: To describe the universe of case reports received during one year in a centralized computer database maintained by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services--Adult Protective Services Division (TDPRS-APS). DESIGN: Descriptive. SETTING: Texas. PARTICIPANTS: Mistreated or neglected older people. MEASUREMENTS: The distribution of abuse types reported and population prevalence estimates of each abuse type by age and sex. RESULTS: There were over 62,000 allegations of adult mistreatment and neglect filed in Texas in 1997. Neglect accounted for 80% of the allegations. The incidence of being reported to the TDPRS-APS increased sharply after age 65. The prevalence was 1,310 individuals/100,000 > or = 65 years of age for all abuse types. CONCLUSIONS: The TDPRS database is an excellent tool for characterizing and tracking cases of reported elder mistreatment. Achieving a clearer understanding of this ever-increasing public health problem can aid in the development of better interventions and prevention strategies.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0002-8614
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -