Elder Abuse Investigation

Elder Abuse Is a Serious Problem

Each year hundreds of thousands of older persons are abused, neglected, and exploited by family members and others. Many victims are people who are older, frail, and vulnerable and cannot help themselves and depend on others to meet their most basic needs.

Legislatures in all 50 states have passed some form of elder abuse prevention laws. Laws and definitions of terms vary considerably from one state to another, but all states have set up reporting systems. Generally, adult protective services (APS) agencies receive and investigate reports of suspected elder abuse.

Recent surveys have found the following:

A 19.7 percent increase from 2000 - 2004 in the combined total of reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse and neglect
A 15.6 percent increase from 2000 - 2004 in substantiated cases
In 20 of the states, more than two in five victims (42.8%) were age 80 or older
Most alleged perpetrators in 2003 were adult children (32.6%) or other family members (21.5%), and spouses/intimate partners accounted for 11.3% of the total (11 states responding)

Generally Accepted Definitions

Elder abuse - an umbrella term referring to any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult.
Physical abuse - inflicting, or threatening to inflict, physical pain or injury on a vulnerable elder, or depriving them of a basic need.
Sexual abuse - the infliction of non-consensual sexual contact of any kind.
Emotional or psychological abuse - the infliction of mental or emotional anguish or distress on an elder person through verbal or nonverbal acts.
Financial or material exploitation - the illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, property, or assets of a vulnerable elder.
Neglect - the refusal or failure by those responsible to provide food, shelter, health care, or protection for a vulnerable elder.
Self-neglect - characterized as the behavior of an elderly person that threatens his/her own health or safety.
Abandonment - the desertion of a vulnerable elder by anyone who has assumed the responsibility for care or custody of that person.

Erie County Detectives have conducted numerous elder abuse investigations that have led to successful prosecutions in the Court of Common Pleas.

Tips about Elder Abuse can be emailed to Det. Sgt. Joe Spusta at jspusta@eriecountygov.org.


search Home District Attorney Bradley Foulk, DA Court Schedule Cybercop Portal Documents and Forms Meet the Staff County Detectives About Us Child Abuse Court Term Cyber Terrorism Drug Task Force DUI Task Force Elder Abuse Fugitive Extraditions General Investigations High Tech Crime Internet Crime - Children Joint Terrorism Private Complaints Stop Violence - Women Tobacco Enforcement Weed & Seed FAQ Alerts Contact Information	Elder Abuse Investigation Elder Abuse Is a Serious Problem Each year hundreds of thousands of older persons are abused, neglected, and exploited by family members and others. Many victims are people who are older, frail, and vulnerable and cannot help themselves and depend on others to meet their most basic needs. Legislatures in all 50 states have passed some form of elder abuse prevention laws. Laws and definitions of terms vary considerably from one state to another, but all states have set up reporting systems. Generally, adult protective services (APS) agencies receive and investigate reports of suspected elder abuse. Recent surveys have found the following: A 19.7 percent increase from 2000 - 2004 in the combined total of reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse and neglect A 15.6 percent increase from 2000 - 2004 in substantiated cases In 20 of the states, more than two in five victims (42.8%) were age 80 or older Most alleged perpetrators in 2003 were adult children (32.6%) or other family members (21.5%), and spouses/intimate partners accounted for 11.3% of the total (11 states responding) Generally Accepted Definitions Elder abuse - an umbrella term referring to any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. Physical abuse - inflicting, or threatening to inflict, physical pain or injury on a vulnerable elder, or depriving them of a basic need. Sexual abuse - the infliction of non-consensual sexual contact of any kind. Emotional or psychological abuse - the infliction of mental or emotional anguish or distress on an elder person through verbal or nonverbal acts. Financial or material exploitation - the illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, property, or assets of a vulnerable elder. Neglect - the refusal or failure by those responsible to provide food, shelter, health care, or protection for a vulnerable elder. Self-neglect - characterized as the behavior of an elderly person that threatens his/her own health or safety. Abandonment - the desertion of a vulnerable elder by anyone who has assumed the responsibility for care or custody of that person. Erie County Detectives have conducted numerous elder abuse investigations that have led to successful prosecutions in the Court of Common Pleas. Tips about Elder Abuse can be emailed to Det. Sgt. Joe Spusta at jspusta@eriecountygov.org.
Erie County Courthouse, 140 West Sixth Street, Erie, Pennsylvania 16501 © Copyright 2006 Office of the Erie County District Attorney