Vol. 73, No. 9, September
2000
Special Focus Issue - Elder Abuse
Incidents of Elder Abuse
Readers may request a brochure containing the report's key
findings by calling the Bureau of Aging and Long Term Care Resources,
(608) 266-2536.
The "1999 Elder Abuse Report," issued by the
Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Bureau of Aging and
Long Term Care Resources, provides a statistical profile of elder abuse
in Wisconsin. A total of 3,257 cases of suspected abuse and neglect were
reported in 1999, an increase of nearly 6 percent over 1998. Of these,
nine were fatal and 363 were considered life threatening. More than 1 in 11 (11.1 percent) involved either a fatal or
life-threatening situation. The report contains information about the
types of abuse reported, characteristics of the victims and abusers, and
actions taken.
Client Characteristics
Clients are identified as having at least one dependency or
disability in nearly 95 percent of the cases. The total is greater than
100 percent because a victim may have more than one client
characteristic.
| Frail 2,212 (67.9 %) |
Alcohol or Drug Abuse 231 (7.1%) |
| Dementia 891 (27.4%) |
Incontinent 255 (7.8%) |
| Medical Condition 555 (17.0%) |
Other Dependency or Disability 127 (3.9%) |
| Physical Disability 706 (21.7%) |
No Dependency or Disability 170 (5.2%) |
| Housebound 269 (8.3%) |
|
| Mental Illness 244 (7.5%) |
|
Relationship of Abuser(s) to Victim
Of the 3,257 cases reported, 1,707 involved
self-neglecting elders. In the remaining cases, almost 79 percent of the
alleged abusers were relatives of the victim. Data on abusers reflect
total reports made, not number of substantiated cases.
| Spouse 277 (16.8%) |
Other Relative 265 (16.1%) |
| Son 391 (23.8%) |
Friend/Neighbor 162 (9.8%) |
| Daughter 366 (22.2%) |
Other (including service provider) 185 (11.3%) |
Wisconsin Lawyer
