Elder Abuse Fatality Review

Elder Abuse Fatality Review is a process to identify deaths caused by the abuse of the aged, for the purpose of examining systemic interventions into known incidents of elder abuse occurring in the life of the deceased prior to the death. The review considers changes in systemic response to prevent future elder abuse deaths, and/or develops recommendations for coordinated community prevention and intervention initiatives.

Within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration on Aging has a website on Elder Abuse, Elder Rights , and Resources--http://www.aoa.gov/eldfam/Elder_Rights/Elder_Abuse/Elder_Abuse.asp

Based in Washington, DC, the Administration on Aging provides technical assistance to Elder Abuse Fatality Review Teams based on their individual needs. The Administration on Aging sponsors the National Center on Elder Abuse at Website at http://www.elderabusecenter.org
Phone: (202) 898-2586
Fax: (202) 898-2583
E-mail: NCEA@nasua.org
Mail: 1201 15th Street, N.W., Suite 350
Washington, D.C. 20005-2800

Elder Abuse Fatality Review is a formal or informal deliberative process that:

• identifies deaths caused by or traceable to elder abuse;
• examines the multi-agency systemic interventions and community involvement in and knowledge of elder abuse related deaths;
• explores social changes and new or modified systemic interventions to avert future deaths and reduce and eliminate elder abuse.
  
  The Administration on Aging sponsors World Elder Abuse Awareness Day each June 15. The goals of the day are:
  
  • Increase the awareness of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation to guide programs that protect older people;
  • Increase the ability of professionals, especially those of the aging network and community-based agencies who have access to frail seniors on a daily basis, to prevent elder abuse by encouraging the development and dissemination of timely and accurate information on best practices; and
  • Foster the development of programs, models, and initiatives that measurably decrease the incidence of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

For more information or assistance please visit the NCEA web site or contact The National Center on Elder Abuse at:

Website: http://www.elderabusecenter.org
Phone: (202) 898-2586
Fax: (202) 898-2583
E-mail: NCEA@nasua.org
Mail: 1201 15th Street, N.W., Suite 350
Washington, D.C. 20005-2800

OTHER IMPORTANT LINKS

Elder Abuse Fatality Review Teams: A Replication Manual
A publication from the American Bar Association's Commission on Law and Aging. Elder abuse fatality review teams review deaths resulting from or related to elder abuse to learn about and improve the responses of adult protective services, health care providers, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim assistance providers, and others to elder abuse victims. Elder abuse is a serious and growing problem. Research indicates that elder abuse hastens mortality and practitioner experience indicates that it often directly causes an older person’s death. However, the responses of the justice, health, and social services systems to elder abuse lag far behind their responses to the similar problems of child abuse or domestic violence. Fatality review teams for child abuse and domestic violence have had an impact in improving systems’ responses to victims. Yet states and communities are only just starting to establish elder abuse fatality review teams.

Clearinghouse on Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly (CANE)
CANE is the Nation's largest computerized collection of elder abuse references and resources.

National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC)
Very rich resource for all types of victims of crime. Includes domestic violence and other websites for every state; elder abuse posters that can be ordered from NCVC; a discussion forum for both victims and professionals; overview of elder abuse laws and policies; and regularly-updated news stories from across the country. Some references and links are not, however, up to date.

National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL)
A project of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV), this Web site provides a variety of resources about abuse in later life. Many of the documents are downloadable and several are in Spanish. There are also links to Web sites of interest to people working in the elder abuse field.

National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA)
The mission of NCPEA is to prvent abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons and adults with disabilities through research, advocacy, services, treatment, public and professional awareness, interdisciplinary exchange, and coalition building. NCPEA publishes the Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect. Subscriptions are free of charge to members.