Reflecting on the Diverse Legal Responses to Elder Abuse in the United States

TL;DR

The paper explores various legal and cultural approaches to addressing elder abuse in the U.S., including restorative justice practices.

Contribution

The paper introduces restorative justice as a novel alternative to traditional legal responses for resolving elder abuse cases.

Findings

Elder abuse fatality review teams and multi-disciplinary teams have been established to address elder abuse.

Restorative justice practices offer a culturally rooted alternative to criminal or civil legal responses.

Restorative justice allows families to address abuse and resolve disputes within a supportive framework.

Abstract

Elder abuse is a complex and pervasive problem affecting countless older adults throughout the United States. It is estimated that at least one in ten community dwelling older adults have experienced some form of abuse in the past year, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, and neglect by family members or caregivers. This presentation will highlight the diverse legal responses that have been adopted over the past fifty years to reduce and prevent elder abuse, including the creation of elder abuse fatality review teams and multi-disciplinary teams, and the adoption of criminal and civil responses to abuse. Restorative justice practices will also be discussed as a unique viable alternative to criminal or civil responses when older adults are abused by family members or caregivers. Rooted in Native American culture, the concept of restorative justice provides older adults with the opportunity to address elder abuse and resolve challenging disputes within families.