This article explores the role of abuser substance abuse in 552 cases of substantiated elder abuse in Illinois. When the abuser was identified as having a substance abuse (SA) problem, the type of elder abuse substantiated was more likely to involve either physical or emotional abuse than neglect or financial exploitation. Abusers with SA problems were more frequently men and children of their victims, and less likely to be caregivers. Abuser SA was associated with victim SA. Cases involving abusers with SA problems were more likely to be evaluated by case workers as having a high potential risk for future abuse. Elder abuser case workers should be trained to identify both victim and abuser SA and appropriate intervention strategies.
In this article we describe the Illinois statewide elder abuse social service program, which is unusual in its comprehensive approach to the assessment and documentation of reported cases of abuse and its extensive data monitoring system. Descriptive information on the number and types of cases of elder abuse reported to the system are presented, along with information on the amount of social work time and administrative effort spent on substantiating abuse reports and providing services. Financial exploitation, emotional abuse, and neglect were the most common types of abuse reported, although emotional abuse was the type most frequently substantiated. The most frequent reasons for case closure were (a) victim entered long-term care, and (b) the workers' assessment that the victim was not at risk for future abuse. A detailed description of the comprehensive assessment and substantiation process is provided.
The reason for case closure was examined in a sample of 2,679 substantiated reports of elder abuse made over a 26-month period to the Illinois adult protective services (APS) program. The most common reason for case closure was the APS worker's assessment that the victim was no longer at risk for abuse (34.5%), followed by long-term care placement (21.4%), administrative closure (14.2%), victim refusal of services (12.3%), and victim death (12.0%). Victims with multiple impairments were more likely to enter long-term care. Victims who refused services tended to have abusers who were substance abusers, had mental illness, or were financially dependent on them. Those who died had more impairments and were more likely to be disabled or nonambulatory at the time of the abuse report.
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