With a rapidly aging population, the number of people with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) is increasing exponentially, creating additional vulnerability for these individuals. However, little is known about how that vulnerability translates into increased risk for elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The Elder Mistreatment in People with Dementia project aims to uncover causal mechanisms that lead to elder mistreatment (EM) among people with ADRD by identifying risk and protective factors for EM. The project team will implement innovative approaches to understanding the interplay between ADRD and EM, ultimately aiming to inform future science on prevention, detection, and response as well as to develop innovative clinical tools that can help identify and address mistreatment in this population. Collaborators on this project include a robust team of researchers, clinicians, and professionals with expertise in EM and ADRD.
This project is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIH/NIA), with supplemental funding provided by the University of Southern California.
Contact:
Roberta Peterson (rcpeters@usc.edu)