Protecting American’s Seniors: 

The Elder Abuse Prevention Interventions Program

BACKGROUND

Elder abuse is a substantial public health problem. It includes physical abuse, neglect, financial 

exploitation, sexual abuse, and emotional or psychological abuse. This abuse results in a wide range 

of negative health impacts, including higher rates of morbidity and mortality, an increased risk of 

injury, and a range of health problems and chronic conditions. 

Currently, most communities do not have comprehensive elder abuse prevention efforts that engage a 

broad set of individuals and institutions that can play a role in combating abuse, such as health 

professionals, law enforcement and legal services agencies, social workers, clergy, and community 

organizations. Promising multidisciplinary models and certain strategies from other family violence 

prevention programs exist that could qualify for pilot testing elder abuse interventions. 

THE ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS PROGRAM

The Elder Abuse Prevention Interventions Program is providing funding to States and Tribes to 

test interventions designed to prevent elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This initiative helps 

to implement the Elder Justice Act, which was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act. These 

prevention projects will draw on existing research and promising practices, while building a 

stronger evidence base and improving data collection systems that are needed to more effectively 

address this troubling issue. 

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) provided funding to the States and Tribes below. 

These grants will span three years.

STATE ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION GRANTS

Cooperative agreements totaling $5 million were awarded to the following States:

 STATE ORGANIZATION

Alaska Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

California University of California, Irvine 

New York New York State Office for the Aging

Texas Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Texas University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Anticipated outcomes include:

• Testing of an enhanced multi-disciplinary team (E-MDT) with a unique feature of a forensic 

accountant, to investigate and intervene in cases of financial exploitation;

• Piloting a tailored health promotion intervention to improve medication adherence among 

frail older adults who Self-neglect;

• Partnering with a primary care physician group to test the EASI screening tool;

• Testing the translation of the Critical Time Intervention (CTI) case management program for 

elder abuse prevention.

• Measuring whether the purported risk factors of elder abuse and neglect in persons with 

dementia are reduced by service components drawn from the Resources for Enhancing 

Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health (REACH) program;

NATIVE AMERICAN ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION GRANTS

Cooperative agreements totaling $700,000 were awarded to the following TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS: 

Tohono O’odham Nation 

Poarch Band of Creek Indians 

Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska 

Anticipated outcomes include: 

• Development of a Multi-Disciplinary Team to address elder abuse in Indian Country; 

• Development and testing of culturally appropriate evidence based screening tools; and 

• Culturally appropriate train-the-trainer modules to improve skills on addressing and 

intervening with elder abuse issues.

For more information about ACL

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 

Administration on Community Living, 

Washington DC 20201 

Phone: (202) 619 – 0724 

Fax: (202) 357 – 3555 

Email: ACLinfo@acl.hhs.gov

Web: http://www.aoa.gov