Tools Inventory

Adult Maltreatment Screening and Assessment Tools Inventory

Background

The best way to intervene in the problem of elder abuse is to prevent it from happening in the first place or to intervene as early as possible so as to mitigate its consequences. Despite the known negative impacts of adult maltreatment on older adults and adults with disabilities, adult maltreatment appears to be quite underreported.^[1] Thus, it is crucial to implement effective methods to detect maltreatment and to identify risk factors for maltreatment in adults. Screening and assessments for maltreatment should occur on the broadest level possible to facilitate early detection and intervention. Additionally, when screening and assessing for adult maltreatment, one should use tools tested for effectiveness and demonstrated to yield accurate results in the population being screened.

In 2018, the Administration for Community Living contracted with New Editions Consulting, Inc. to create an inventory of screening and assessment tools for adult maltreatment.

Purpose and Composition

The purpose of the Adult Maltreatment Screening and Assessment Tools Inventory (Tools Inventory) is to identify and describe tested screening and assessment tools related directly to adult maltreatment for use by professionals in the field who interact directly with clients. 

The Tools Inventory comprises 46 tools. The following information is provided for each tool: maltreatment type, intended audience, number of items, format, how administered, amount of training required, copyright status, and contact information for the tool developer. There is also an overall rating of the tool’s evidence.

Link to the Tools Inventory