Stop Family Violence

Abstract

Social work and other professions have historically focused on issues of child maltreatment and domestic/intimate partner violence, with very little attention paid to abuse and neglect that occurs among older adults. Social workers have played a significant role in responding to elder abuse at various ecological-systemic levels. In fact, they represent the largest profession responsible for delivering and managing elder abuse services in the community. This chapter provides an overview of the topic of elder abuse and ways that social workers have been involved in addressing this growing problem. It describes key social work practice considerations for assessing and intervening with cases of elder abuse, including fundamental conceptual practice principles and an overview of current dominant response system programs. Finally, the chapter provides recommendations for future directions in the field of elder abuse, such as greater emphasis on integrating feminist, life course, and trauma-informed care perspectives.