The Illinois elder abuse system: program description and administrative findings

In this article we describe the Illinois statewide elder abuse social service program, which is unusual in its comprehensive approach to the assessment and documentation of reported cases of abuse and its extensive data monitoring system. Descriptive information on the number and types of cases of elder abuse reported to the system are presented, along with information on the amount of social work time and administrative effort spent on substantiating abuse reports and providing services. Financial exploitation, emotional abuse, and neglect were the most common types of abuse reported, although emotional abuse was the type most frequently substantiated. The most frequent reasons for case closure were (a) victim entered long-term care, and (b) the workers' assessment that the victim was not at risk for future abuse. A detailed description of the comprehensive assessment and substantiation process is provided.