Identifying and Addressing Older and Dependent Adult Abuse

Course overview

Dependent and older adults are a population who are vulnerable to abuse from someone they know, such as family members, service or care providers, and others. There are hundreds of thousands of investigated reports of cases of abuse each year. And yet, it is well known that dependent adult abuse and elder abuse are significantly under-reported. This type of abuse has a significant impact on the adult victims health, safety, emotional well-being, and ability to engage in daily life. The first step to addressing the problem is to heighten awareness of abuse of dependent and older individuals, in particular among those who serve them or have frequent contact with them. Individuals working with dependent and older adults must be knowledgeable about the common types of abuse perpetrated against these adults. They should also be familiar with the responsibilities related to reporting suspected or known dependent adult abuse or elder abuse.