Jl. Roby et R. Sullivan, Adult protection service laws: A comparison of state statutes from definition to case closure, J ELD ABUSE, 12(3-4), 2000, pp. 17-51
While legislative efforts at the federal and state levels have represented
a dramatic change in the last three decades, there is a great range and var
iations in the laws addressing older abuse, leading to difficulty iri gener
ating comparison data, and coordinating program creation and implementation
across stale lines. This article examines the legislative variations on th
e topics of definitional issues, reporting statutes, investigative methods,
temporary and permanent court interventions,ns, and protective services pr
ovided under the laws of all fifty of the United States and the District of
Columbia. Further, it examines the current elder abuse literature and make
s suggestions toward legislation compatible with it. The bulk of the statut
ory data include those available in 1998 but many statutes which became eff
ective in 1999 are also included. All jurisdictions are referred to as "sta
tes," including the District of Columbia which is technically a federal dis
trict. (C) 2000 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights rserved.