Screening for Elder Abuse: Exploring the Acceptability of the Elder Abuse Suspicion Index to Law Enforcement Officers for Field Use

National surveys conducted on community-dwelling older adults have reported the overall prevalence of elder abuse to be approximately 10% in the US.1 For every elder abuse case known to programs and agencies, an estimated 24 cases go unreported.2 Since the criminalization of elder abuse in the 1990\u27s, law enforcement officers (LEOs) are in a unique position to detect and respond to elder abuse cases. Despite increased interaction between LEOs and elderly persons in the community, LEOs report significant knowledge gaps in responding to elder abuse cases.3,4 Currently, there are no known instruments used by LEOs to assess for risk of elder abuse. The Elder Abuse Suspicion Index (EASI),5 a screening tool previously validated for use by physicians in clinical settings, shows potential for use by officers. This report presents findings from a survey and interviews with LEOs and community advocates in the state of Connecticut exploring acceptability of the EASI as a law enforcement screening tool.https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysph_pbchrr/1009/thumbnail.jp