Elder abuse telephone screen reliability and validity.
OBJECTIVE
(a) To identify reliable and valid questions that identify elder abuse, (b) to assess the reliability and validity of extant self-reported elder abuse screens in a high-risk elderly population, and (c) to describe difficulties of completing and interpreting screens in a high-need elderly population.


METHODS
All elders referred to research-trained social workers in a community service agency were asked to participate. Of the 70 elders asked, 49 participated, 44 completed the first questionnaire, and 32 completed the duplicate second questionnaire. A research assistant administered the telephone questionnaires.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine (42%) persons were judged abused, 12 (17%) had abuse reported, and 4 (6%) had abuse substantiated. The elder abuse screen instruments were not found to be predictive of assessed abuse or as predictors of reported abuse; the measures tended toward being inversely predictive. Two questions regarding harm and taking of belongings were significantly different for the assessed abused group.


CONCLUSIONS
In this small group of high-need community-dwelling elders, the screens were not effective in discriminating between abused and nonabused groups. Better instruments are needed to assess for elder abuse.
Buri
Hilary M
HM
Department of Family Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
Daly
Jeanette M
JM
Jogerst
Gerald J
GJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone; D014342:Truth Disclosure