Little Is Known about Older Adult Abuse by Guardians, GAO Concludes

December 16, 2016 | Aging Services Risk Management

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​The extent of guardian abuse of older adults is little known, owing to various data limitations, but guardianship programs have taken steps to protect older adults from such abuse, according to a November 2016 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). As the number of adults over the age of 65 is projected to nearly double in the United States by 2050, abuse is of high concern. After reviewing relevant literature issued by expert organizations and conducting interviews with federal, state, and nongovernmental organizations and courts, GAO found that financial exploitation and neglect are among the most common forms of abuse, as seen in eight example cases that resulted in criminal convictions or civil or administrative liability.

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