Elder abuse is the other family violence, the one that is seldom recognized and woefully under funded. In addition, most citizens think the occurrence of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation is non-existent. Our current statute and system for responding to reports of suspected adult abuse are not adequate and ignore the fact that many independent older Iowans are victims of abuse. Initiative The Departments of Elder Affairs, Human Services, Public Safety, Inspections and Appeals and Health are working collaboratively to establish a response mechanism for elder abuse, using existing systems to address the issue. An elder abuse awareness and training initiative would increase Iowans knowledge of the existence of elder abuse, point out signs of abuse or neglect and provide suggested interventions to those victims of abuse.
Education is the cornerstone of preventing elder abuse.
Because most abuse occurs in the home by family members or caregivers, there needs to be a concerted effort to educate the public about the risk factors for abuse and how to report suspected abuse. In addition, consistent and uniform training of adult protective service workers and other professionals who respond or detect elder abuse needs to occur. This change is projected to increase awareness and provide effective interventions to identify and prevent elder abuse. By increasing awareness among the general public and professionals who respond to elder abuse reports, patterns of abuse, neglect and exploitation can be broken and both the abused person and the abuser can receive needed help.