An Assessment of Efficacy of an Intervention for Environmental Symptoms of Self-Neglect Among Older Adults

Self-Neglect among older adults is a major concern in the United States. It is estimated that one in ten older adults report experiencing some form of abuse or potential for neglect (Acierno et al., 2010). The National Center on Elder Abuse has estimated that for every one case of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect reported to authorities, about five more cases go unreported (National Elder Abuse Incidence Study, 1998). Among literature regarding elder mistreatment, researchers have indicated self-neglect as the most common form of elder abuse and neglect reported to adult protection and social service agencies (Dong, Simon, & Evans, 2012). Maintaining the environment is one of the most frequently cited concerns of elder self-neglect reported to adult protection services (Dyer et al., 2006). This study evaluated the efficacy of an intervention, found within the environmental neglect literature, as an intervention for environmental symptoms of self-neglect among older adults