Multidisciplinary team legislative language associated with elder abuse investigations

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health Policy
• Social Work

Background:

• Elder abuse is a significant public health concern requiring coordinated responses.
• Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) involving professionals from various disciplines are increasingly utilized to address elder abuse.
• The legislative landscape surrounding MDTs and their impact on elder abuse outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify trends in adult protective services (APS) legislation related to multidisciplinary teams (MDTs).
• To determine the association between MDT legislation and rates of reported, investigated, and substantiated domestic elder abuse.
• To analyze the influence of statutory text regarding MDTs on elder abuse case processing.

Main Methods:

• Retrieved aggregate elder abuse reports and state statutes from all 50 states and the District of Columbia for 1999 and 2007.
• Analyzed statutes for the presence of text pertaining to multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in 2000 and 2008.
• Compared elder abuse investigation rates between states with and without MDT-related statutory text in 2007.

Main Results:

• Statutes in eight states (2000) and nine states (2008) included text referencing multidisciplinary teams (MDTs).
• States with MDT-related statutory text demonstrated significantly higher elder abuse investigation rates in 2007 compared to states without such text.
• The overall prevalence of MDTs across the United States is not definitively known.

Conclusions:

• The presence of multidisciplinary team (MDT) content within state statutes is associated with increased elder abuse investigation rates.
• Legislative inclusion of MDTs may signify a supportive environment for coordinated elder abuse response.
• Further research is needed to understand the full impact of MDTs and legislative factors on elder abuse reporting, investigation, and substantiation.