RISK-FACTORS FOR REPORTED ELDER ABUSE AND NEGLECT - A 9-YEAR OBSERVATIONAL COHORT STUDY

To determine longitudinal risk factors for elder abuse and neglect, an established cohort of community-dwelling older adults (n = 2,812) was linked with elderly protective service records over a 9-year follow-u p period. Protective services saw 184 (6.5%) individuals in the cohort for any indication, and 47 cohort members were seen for corroborated elder abuse or neglect for a sampling adjusted 9-year prevalence of 1. 6% (95% CI 1.0%, 2.1%). In pooled logistic regression, age, race, pove rty, functional disability, and cognitive impairment were identified a s risk factors for reported elder mistreatment. Additionally, the onse t of new cognitive impairment was also associated with elder abuse and neglect. Because the mechanism of elder mistreatment case-finding in this study was a social welfare system (protective services), the infl uence of race and poverty as risk factors is likely to be overestimate d due to reporting bias.