Interventions from home-based geriatric assessments of adult protective service clients suffering elder mistreatment.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the interventions for adult protective service (APS) clients referred for geriatric assessment.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study.


METHODS
In-home geriatric assessments conducted in two New Jersey counties.


METHODS
Two hundred eleven APS clients; 74% female; mean age 77.


METHODS
Cognition, affect, nutrition, prevalence of selected medical diagnoses and functional conditions, and categories of interventions.


RESULTS
Home health agency services were initiated for 46% of APS clients suffering from all forms of mistreatment. Institutional placements (36%) and guardianship interventions (36%) were correlated with caregiver neglect, especially in female APS clients and those diagnosed with dementia. Urgent medications (25%) were prescribed across all mistreatment classifications, and acute hospitalization (20%) was correlated with circumstances of physical abuse.


CONCLUSIONS
An in-home geriatric assessment service was able to contribute at least one relevant intervention for 81% of referred APS clients to collaboratively help mitigate elder mistreatment circumstances.
Heath
John M
JM
Department of Family Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. heathjm@UMDNJ.edu
Kobylarz
Fred A
FA
Brown
Merle
M
Castaño
Susan
S
D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies