Elder financial abuse: an evaluation framework and supporting evidence.

OBJECTIVES To develop a valid and reliable framework for evaluating cases of alleged elder financial abuse. DESIGN Experienced experts in elder financial abuse rated a framework with eight elements. SETTING Professionals attending an advanced training course on elder abuse. PARTICIPANTS Deputy district attorneys (n=44), senior law enforcement detectives (n=59), Adult Protective Service workers, and public guardians and victim advocates (n=56) who had a combined total of 1,985 years of experience and who had investigated a total of 3,225 cases (mean of 13.1 years and 21.2 cases) were included. MEASUREMENTS These experienced professionals were asked to rate how well an evaluative framework matched their experience with elder financial abuse using a 5-point rating scale ranging from very little to almost entirely. RESULTS The mean rating for the model was 4.4 out of 5. About 90% of the sample rated it as almost entirely or very much matching their experience. There were no differences between professions. The reliability measure was 0.85. CONCLUSION These results suggest a reliable and valid framework for evaluating cases of possible elder financial abuse.