Elder Abuse and Mistreatment: Policy, Practice and Research, edited by M. Joanna Mellor & Patricia Brownell (Binghamton, N.Y.: Haworth, 2006); paperback, 258 pages; $29.95.

by Tobi A. Abramson

Elder Abuse and Mistreatment: Policy, Practice and Research is a compilation of articles about various aspects of elder abuse, neglect and mistreatment. The contributors come from a variety of professional backgrounds; they discuss programs and practices from the United States and Canada, providing a broad perspective. The book is divided into three main sections focusing on policy, practice and research. Each offers insights for mental health professionals who work with older adults, although most such professionals will probably find the section on practice particularly worthwhile.

Policy. Many of the articles in the policy section include a description of elder abuse; this can be somewhat redundant if you read the book as a whole. Lisa Nerenberg’s article, “Communities Respond to Elder Abuse,” provides an overview of community initiatives to address the needs of elder abuse victims, with added information on elder homicide-suicide, elder abduction and issues of abandonment.

Christopher Dubble’s article offers the perspective of law enforcement and adult protective services, using case examples to support the content. Elizabeth Podnieks’ article uses the concept of social inclusion and exclusion as a model to understand elder abuse; the conception is interesting, but it’s difficult to follow the connection between elder abuse and the author’s central concepts.

One of the shortcomings of the policy section is that the book was in press just before the Elder Justice Act went to the Senate in September 2006; the most current information on the act is not presented. The bill is cited, but not the final outcome. (See the interview with Robert Blancato in this issue of Dimensions for an update on this important piece of legislation.)

Practice. The practice section provides articles that address more applied, practice-based topics and examples. L. Rene Bergeron’s article, “Self-Determination and Elder Abuse: Do We Know Enough?” is a thought-provoking discussion for mental health professionals where the author presents cases and raises questions for professionals to think about. The reader must consider whether self-determination is a useful and appropriate concept when the older adult is depressed, sick or in crisis, and whether self-determination should be the primary justification for leaving an older person in a situation which may be life threatening.

Patricia A. Bomba’s article, “Use of Single-Page Elder Abuse Assessment and Management Tool: A Practical Clinician’s Approach to Identifying Elder Mistreatment,” offers a physician’s perspective on family violence and suggests that elder abuse be considered a “geriatric syndrome.” Her article identifies areas for physicians to look at when screening older adults and factors that prevent physicians from identifying family violence. Her one-page tool assessment is included in a table, but due to the small print, it is difficult to read; fortunately, an address for finding the tool online is provided.

Also in the practice section, Daniel A. Reingold’s article highlights an interesting model program where a long-term care facility is used as a shelter for those abused. Financial abuse and consumer fraud are discussed by Carole A. Cohen, who highlights Canadian initiatives to prevent fraud. Patricia Brownell and Deborah Heiser’s article, “Psycho-Educational Support Groups for Older Women Victims of Family Mistreatment: A Pilot Study,” contains the curriculum outline for an eight-week psychoeducational support group which can be used as a guideline if one wanted to replicate the group.

Research.The articles in the research section are mostly qualitative and rely on very small samples, so significant findings are not presented -- although the findings offered are nonetheless interesting. Topics in this section cover ethical and psychosocial issues, elder abuse among veterans, the voices of abused older women and the effects of dependency.

Overall, Elder Abuse and Mistreatment: Policy, Practice and Research gives the reader a broad overview of some key areas in elder abuse; some of the individual articles no doubt will provide useful resources for the mental health professional.

Tobi A. Abramson is an adjunct professor at the New York Institute of Technology and the Brookdale Center on Aging.

Copyright © 2007 American Society on Aging; all rights reserved. This article may not be duplicated or distributed in any form without written permission from the publisher: American Society on Aging, 71 Stevenson St., Suite 1450, San Francisco, CA 94105-2938; e-mail: permissions@asaging.org.