An Examination of Risk and Violence Indicators among a Subset of Elder Deaths in Fulton County, GA

Acknowledgements I would like to thank the faculty and staff of the School of Public Health for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to pursue my master's degree. I would like to especially thank Dr. Sheryl Strasser, my thesis chair, and Chevas Yeoman, my thesis committee member, for their generous support and insightful guidance throughout this process. Last, I am grateful for the incredible encouragement and support of my wife, Farah, and my family during the time that I spent in preparation and pursuit of this degree. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation (ANE) is considered as one of the hidden problems in public health. Recent studies report a prevalence of rate of 7.6-10% among individuals 65 and older; however, further research indicates only 1 in 14 cases come to the attention of the authorities. As the US population demographic continues to age (expected to reach 20% of the general population by the year 2030), there is an urgent need to understand ANE through research so that effective prevention measures can be developed, so that older adults can live with dignity and avoid needless suffering at the end of life. The purpose of this study is to examine the saliency of ANE internal and external risk factors in a subset of elder deaths collected from the Fulton County, GA Medical Examiner database of death records.