Cross-Validation of the Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Forensic Psychology
• Social Work

Background:

• Financial exploitation is a significant threat to older adults.
• Existing risk assessment tools may not fully capture contextual vulnerabilities.
• The Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale (FEVS) was developed to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To cross-validate the Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale (FEVS) in a diverse sample of older adults.
• To assess the clinical utility of the FEVS in detecting financial exploitation.
• To compare the predictive power of FEVS to demographic factors and cognitive functioning.

Main Methods:

• Cross-validation study involving participants from the community and a service for financially scammed older adults (SAFE program).
• Administration of the FEVS within a comprehensive assessment battery.
• Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression to evaluate detection accuracy and clinical utility.

Main Results:

• FEVS scores were significantly higher in individuals who had experienced financial exploitation.
• FEVS scores demonstrated a positive correlation with age.
• ROC analysis indicated adequate detection of financial exploitation by the FEVS.
• The FEVS total score remained a robust predictor of exploitation, outperforming demographic and cognitive measures.

Conclusions:

• The cross-validation provides strong evidence for the FEVS's efficacy in identifying financial exploitation among older adults.
• The FEVS is an evidence-based tool that can assist professionals in identifying at-risk individuals.
• The scale's focus on contextual factors enhances its utility in providing appropriate client care and support.