Factors affecting the rate of elder abuse reporting to a state protective services program

Using all 27 geographical areas in Massachusetts served by protective servi ces agencies (PS) as the units of analysis, this study sought to determine the factors that influence elder abuse reporting rates. The dependent varia ble was the number of reports per 1,000 persons aged 60 years and older rec eived during 1994, Of the ten factors entered into a multiple linear regres sion analysis, four were significant (R-2 = 63%). Higher rates of reporting were associated with lower socioeconomic status of the older population, m ore community training of area professionals, higher agency service rating scores,and a lower community agency-PS relationship score. The inverse rela tionship between the rate of reporting and community agency-PS relationship score is contrary to conventional wisdom and suggests that the factor may be masking or representing other associations.