The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #58981

Joyce DeMonnin, MPH, Washington County, Elder Safe Program, 215 SW Adams, #32, Hillsboro, OR 97123, (503) 846-6048, joyce_demonnin@co.washington.or.us, Rick Knapp, JD, Washington County, District Attorney's Office, 150 N. First, #40, Hillsboro, OR 97124, and Grady Tarbutton, Washington County, Dept. of Aging and Veterans' Services, 133 SE Second St., Hillsboro, OR 97124.

The goal of elder abuse multidisciplinary teams (MDT) is to enhance the identification, investigation and prosecution of elder abuse crimes in the community. Elder Abuse presents a significant public health risk to older adults, and developing interventions and a coordinated response is poorly understood. Washington County, Oregon started a multidisciplinary team in 1999 in partnership with the Dept. of Aging and Veterans’ Services, the Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney and all other law enforcement agencies in the county, as well as geriatric mental health providers. The team was expanded a year later to include trained volunteer victim advocates. The year before the inception of the MDT, one elder abuse case was prosecuted. Adult Protective Services were virtually unknown by the law enforcement community, and elder abuse was not recognized as a community problem. Since the MDT was formed, the team has met 11 times a year staffing difficult cases, providing inservice trainings and an opportunity for informal networking and decision making across disciplines. The team also sponsored a number of interdisciplinary workshops. Based upon the increase in knowledge of elder abuse in the community, prevention strategies were identified and implementation has begun. Since the team was formed, the number of cases referred to prosecutors has increased 570% in just four years. Even without funding, the MDT has documented elder crime and adult protective services rates in the community leading to intervention strategies and increases in prosecution rates.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to identify types of community-based elder abuse addressed by the criminal justice system.
• Develop an interagency protocol agreement.
• Conceptualize an interagency referral system.
• List elder abuse risk factors.

Keywords: Elderly,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Handout (.ppt format, 381.5 kb)