title: Enhancing victim safety through collaboration.
abstract: Elder abuse is associated with morbid and lethal outcomes. In some cases of elder abuse, particularly involving domestic violence, uninformed or improperly executed interventions can result in serious harm to the victims. Professionals from various disciplines may themselves be at risk during encounters with perpetrators. This chapter provides an overview of potentially dangerous scenarios of elder abuse such as homicide, homicide/suicide, strangulation, and stalking. Intervention strategies such as lethality assessments and safety planning are described. A case scenario illustrates the value of an interdisciplinary response to enhance victim safety. This chapter reviews potential lethality factors and the steps that can be taken to enhance the safety of victims, their families, and the professionals who serve them.
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brandle
authors.forename: Carmel Bitondo
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Candace J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Heisler
authors.forename: Joanne Marlatt
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: Lori A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Stiegel
authors.forename: Randolph W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D010934:Planning Techniques; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012449:Safety