NCEA - Elder Mistreatment and Diverse Communities

Elder Mistreatment and Diverse Communities

Elder abuse occurs across domains of ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, and sexual orientation, among other identities. Though there are few studies assessing elder abuse in diverse communities, research suggests that people’s perceptions of mistreatment are impacted by their experiences and environments. Understandings of abuse may also vary based on cultural and social norms among and within communities. For diverse elders, in particular, historical oppression and marginalization endured over a lifetime can impact individual responses to abuse.

These differences influence how mistreatment is defined, described, and addressed. Recognizing how diverse communities perceive abuse and neglect is essential to developing culturally appropriate resources and interventions.
This content aligns with President Biden’s “Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” Specifically, the President’s call to recognize and redress systemic disparities among historically underserved and marginalized communities by advancing equitable opportunities, resources, and benefits for all.

Below are research briefs that describe the detection, reporting, and response to elder mistreatment within specific communities:

Ageism Research Brief (2021)
Mistreatment of Adults with Disabilities (2022)
Mistreatment of African American Elders (2020)
Mistreatment of Asian Pacific Islander (AAPI) Elders (2021)
Mistreatment of Chinese Elders (2021)
Mistreatment of Korean Elders (2021)
Mistreatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Elders (2020)
Mistreatment of Latinx Older Adults (2020)
The following fact sheets provide information about elder mistreatment within communities:

Indigenous Elders
Consent and Capacity in Indian Country – Elder Abuse and the Connection to Consent, Capacity, and Undue Influence
Elder Abuse in Indian Country
Elder Caregiving in Indian Country
Financial Abuse & Exploitation of Elders in Indian Country
Health Care & Elder Abuse in Indian Country
Intimate Partner Violence and Elder Abuse (Among Older Native Americans during COVID-19)
Legal Issues in Indian Country
Policies & Legislation: Impacting Elder Programs in Indian Country
Social Services for Elders in Indian Country

LGBTQ+ Elders
LGBT Older People Built the LGBT Community
LGBT Older People: Our Right to a Peaceful Life
LGBTQ+ Inclusive Intake + Engagement for Elder Justice Professionals
Looking for Love
Paying it Back: Promoting Justice for LGBT Communities of All Ages
Two Spirit Elders
A Spotlight on Two Spirit Elders and Elder Justice Facts

Elders with Limited English Proficiency
Communicating with People with Limited English Proficiency

Faith Communities
Bringing Together Faith and Safety for Older Adults Version 1 | Version 2
The following fact sheets about elder mistreatment are available in several languages:

General Facts About Elder Abuse
Signs of Elder Abuse
English | Spanish | Chinese | Korean | Tagalog | Vietnamese | Armenian | Farsi
Red Flags of Elder Abuse
English | Chinese | Korean | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese | Armenian | Farsi
The Facts of Elder Abuse (Long)
English | Spanish | Chinese | Korean | Tagalog | Vietnamese | Armenian | Farsi
The Facts of Elder Abuse (Short)
English | Spanish | Chinese | Korean | Tagalog | Vietnamese | Armenian | Farsi
5 Things Anyone Can Do to Prevent Elder Abuse
English | Spanish | Chinese | Korean | Tagalog | Vietnamese | Armenian | Farsi
12 Things Everyone Can Do to Prevent Elder Abuse
English | Spanish | Chinese | Korean | Tagalog | Vietnamese | Armenian | Farsi

Types of Abuse
Emotional Abuse
English | Chinese | Korean | Japanese | Samoan | Tagalog | Vietnamese
Identifying Financial Exploitation
English | Chinese | Korean | Samoan | Tagalog | Vietnamese
Planning to Protect Yourself
English | Chinese | Korean | Samoan | Tagalog | Vietnamese
Financial Exploitation: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Older Adults Guidelines for Professionals (Companion piece to Identifying Financial Exploitation and Planning to Protect Yourself)
Neglect
English | Chinese | Korean | Japanese | Samoan | Tagalog | Vietnamese

Caregiving
FotonovelaPatience and Love: Being a Caregiver is Born from the Heart English | Paciencia y Amor: Ser Cuidador Nace del Corazón Spanish
Six Ways to Care for Yourself When Caring for Someone with Dementia
English | Chinese | Korean | Japanese | Samoan | Tagalog | Vietnamese
Tips and Tools for Safe and Supportive Caregiving
Training resources for caregivers
The dynamics of caregiving can provide context for complicated familial relationships that may be associated with an increased likelihood of mistreatment.^{^[1]} In diverse communities, the lack of culturally appropriate services and supports can inhibit effective intervention.

For information about caregiving in diverse communities, please access the link below to a toolkit developed by the Diverse Elders Coalition:
Caring for those who Care Toolkit: Resources for Providers: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers

Please see below the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers released by the Administration for CommunityLiving of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers

For information about racial disparities in nursing homes impacting the quality of resident care, please access the issue brief below from our partners at Justice in Aging:
Racial Disparities in Nursing Facilities—and How to Address Them

^{^[1]} Anetzberger G. J. (2000). Caregiving: Primary cause of elder abuse?Generations, 24, 46–51.
Research suggests that lived experiences may impact an older person’s willingness to either report abuse or seek intervention through agencies like law enforcement or Adult Protective Services. For example, older adults who have experienced racism and oppression throughout their lives may be distrustful of agencies that they believe may place their families at risk of being discriminated against on the basis of race.

Other barriers to helping resources include limited access to services and supports, especially those that are culturally and linguistically appropriate to the needs of specific communities. In addition, some diverse elders are reluctant to report family members or friends on whom they depend for housing, food, and other essential needs. Many may be embarrassed, unwilling to tell anyone that they have been abused. Others may not want to report a loved one and expose them to the criminal justice system.

Principle of Restorative Elder Justice

One intervention that has been gaining interest is Restorative Justice.
Consider: What is our goal when trying to help an older adult in cases of elder mistreatment? Protection? Justice? Healing?

While each is important, few laws and social support services focus on as a primary goal.
The model of restorative justice should be considered when working with diverse communities because it focuses on family systems and community as an alternative to traditional criminal and court systems. The model supports healing at the individual and community levels and takes into account social determinants of elder mistreatment.
Addressing elder mistreatment with this lens can provide a more equitable approach to addressing elder abuse and neglect.
The articles below describe research studies relating to the mistreatment of older adults within diverse communities:

Mistreatment Across Diverse Cultures^{^[1]} ^{^[2]} ^{^[3]} ^{^[4]} ^{^[5]}
Mistreatment of African American Elders^{^[6]} ^{^[7]}
Mistreatment of Asian American Elders^{^[8]} ^{^[9]}
Mistreatment of Latinx and Hispanic Elders^{^[10]}
Mistreatment of Asian Pacific Islander Elders^{^[11]}
Mistreatment of American Indian Elders^{^[12]} ^{^[13]}
Mistreatment of Alaska Native Elders^{^[14]}
Mistreatment of LGBT Elders^{^[15]}
Elder Mistreatment and gender^{^[16]}
Elder Mistreatment and women^{^[17]}
Elder Mistreatment and ageism^{^[18]}

^{^[1]} Li, M., Chen, R., & Dong, X. (2020). Elder Mistreatment Across Diverse Cultures. Generations, 44(1), 20-25.

^{^[2]} Jervis, L. L., Hamby, S., Beach, S. R., Williams, M. L., Maholmes, V., & Castille, D. M. (2016). Elder mistreatment in underserved populations: Opportunities and challenges to developing a contemporary program of research. Journal of elder abuse & neglect, 28(4-5), 301-319.

^{^[3]} Joseph, J., & Gonzalez, A. (2018). Elder Abuse in Communities of Color in the United States: A Literature Review. In Perspectives on Elderly Crime and Victimization, 125-139.

^{^[4]} Enguidanos, S., DeLiema, M., Aguilar, I., Lambrinos, J., & Wilber, K. (2014). Multicultural voices: Attitudes of older adults in the United States about elder mistreatment. Ageing and society, 34(5), 877.

^{^[5]} Burrell, J. E. (2019). Relationship Between Race, Gender, and Elder Abuse Awareness

^{^[6]} Mouton, C. P., & Southerland, J. H. (2017). Elder Abuse in the African diaspora: A review. Journal of the National Medical Association, 109(4), 262-271.

^{^[7]} Horsford, S. R., Parra-Cardona, J. R., Post, L. A., & Schiamberg, L. (2010). Elder abuse and neglect in African American families: informing practice based on ecological and cultural frameworks. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 23(1), 75-88.

^{^[8]} Chao, Y. Y., Li, M., Lu, S. E., & Dong, X. (2020). Elder mistreatment and psychological distress among US Chinese older adults. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 1-19.

^{^[9]} Chang, M. (2016). Experience of elder abuse among older Korean immigrants. Journal of elder abuse & neglect, 28(2), 76-94.

^{^[10]} Hincapie, D., Gilmore, M., Lenox, M., & Stripling, A. (2020). Assessment and treatment of elder abuse in Spanish speaking Americans: A scoping review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 101480.

^{^[11]} Chen, R., & Dong, X. (2017). Risk factors of elder abuse. Elder Abuse, 93-107.

^{^[12]} Hamby, S., Schultz, K., & Elm, J. (2020). Understanding the burden of trauma and victimization among American Indian and Alaska native elders: historical trauma as an element of poly-victimization. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21(2), 172-186.

^{^[13]} Crowder, J., Burnett, C., Laughon, K., & Dreisbach, C. (2019). Elder abuse in American Indian communities: An integrative review. Journal of forensic nursing, 15(4), 250-258.

^{^[14]} Hamby, S., Schultz, K., & Elm, J. (2020). Understanding the burden of trauma and victimization among American Indian and Alaska native elders: historical trauma as an element of poly-victimization. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21(2), 172-186.

^{^[15]} Gutman, G. M., Robson, C., & Marchbank, J. (2020). Elder Abuse in the LGBT Community. Advances in Elder Abuse Research, 149-164.

^{^[16]} Sengstock, M. C., & Gill, B. I. (2016). Elder Abuse and Gender. The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies, 1-3.

^{^[17]} Yon, Y., Mikton, C., Gassoumis, Z. D., & Wilber, K. H. (2019). The prevalence of self-reported elder abuse among older women in community settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 20(2), 245-259.

^{^[18]} Pillemer, K., Burnes, D., & MacNeil, A. (2021). Investigating the connection between ageism and elder mistreatment. Nature Aging, 1(2), 159-164.
Webinars

Asking Inclusive Demographic Questions – How To Do It and Why It Matters (Adult Protective Services Technical Assistance Resource Center)
Cultural and Linguistic Competence: What it Means for Ombudsman Programs (National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center)
Disability Inclusion in APS : Parts 1, 2, & 3 (National Adult Protective Services Association)
Elder Abuse in our LGBTQ Community: An Intervention Guide for Service Providers and Partners in Care (Elder Abuse Ontario)
Equity and Cultural Humility in APS Beginning the Conversation Around Staff and Client Experiences (Adult Protective Services Technical Assistance Resource Center)
Exploring Restorative Approaches to Elder Justice Webinar Series (California Elder Justice Coalition)
An Intersectional and Multi-Disciplinary Look at Elder Mistreatment and the African American Community: Sharing New Resources and Strategies for Impact (National Center on Elder Abuse)
National Indigienous Elder Justice Initiative Online Interactive Educational Modules
New Research on Elder Abuse Among American Indian and Alaska Native Populations (International Association for Indigenous Aging)
Reclaiming What is Sacred: Addressing Harm to Indigenous Elders (National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life)
The Rise in Violence Against Asian Americans – An Intentional Conversation (Empowered Aging)
Supporting Black Caregivers and Older Adults (National Center on Law and Elder Rights)

Toolkits & Guides

Advancing Equity in Aging Toolkit (Justice in Aging)
Tribal Elder Protection Team Toolkit (National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative)
Elder Justice & Racial Justice (National Association of Social Workers)
Increasing Access to Healing Services and Just Outcomes for Older African American Crime Survivors (National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life and National Resource Center for Reaching Victims)
Master Plan for Aging Equity Work Group Equity Tool (California Master Plan for Aging)
My Advance Care Plan & Guide for Native Americans (National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative)
Online Modules for those working with Indigenous elders to identify and address elder abuse in Indian country (National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative)
Restorative Approaches to Elder Justice Toolkit (California Elder Justice Coalition)
Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice (National Association of Social Workers)
Understanding Disabilities in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities (National Indian Council on Aging)

Elder Mistreatment and Diverse Communities

Elder Mistreatment and Diverse Communities

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