NCJ Number
130772
Journal
Crime to Court Dated: (July 1991) Pages: 13-15
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The special problems presented by the elderly are outlined; police officers must be trained to respond to the needs of this group.
Abstract
A police officer's job is to be able to detect when a situation of abuse or neglect of the elderly exists and to respond appropriately. Consequently, it is helpful to know some of the characteristics of both the abuser and the abused. Frequently, family members such as a child or spouse are abusers of the elderly. Those most likely to become victims of abuse are females of an advanced age. Other characteristics include dependence on others for care, alcohol abuse, a history of abuse in the past, impairments which require major responsibilities for the caretaker, and overly demanding or unpleasant behavior which provokes abuse. The elderly also may encourage abuse by not communicating to others that they have been abused. Alzheimer's disease is another problem of the elderly. Police officers need to be aware of the characteristics of this disease so they do not incorrectly identify its victims as being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.