Elder Abuse
What is Elder Abuse?
In Maryland, Abuse is defined by law –Section 14-101 of the Family Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland as the sustaining of any physical injury by a vulnerable adult as a result of cruel or inhumane treatment or as a result of a malicious act by any person.
The following sites will take you outside the OHCQ website:
The first step in elder abuse prevention is awareness. The International Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse established World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) in 2006. The day is recognized annually on June 15th. The purpose of this day is to increase understanding of issues surrounding elder abuse. Many advocates of older adults utilize this day to conduct outreach and distribute informational material to their community.
Baltimore County Department on Aging Ombudsman Program Lending Library and Educational Resource Options. The Lending Library contains over 140 videos, DVDs, and print materials that can be utilized by nursing homes, assisted living facilities or concerned citizens in Baltimore County. Topics include dementia care, behavior management, individualized care planning, quality of life and much more.
CANE is located in the University of Delaware Center for Community Research and Service and is the nation's largest computerized catalog of elder abuse literature. With over 6,000 entries, search CANE's database to obtain references pertaining to many aspects of elder abuse and neglect, and the conditions that impact elder mistreatment.
CARIE fulfills its core mission — to improve the well being, rights and autonomy of older persons through advocacy, education, and action — through a “case to cause” model of advocacy that serves to promote equal access to justice and addresses problems and issues on both the individual and the systemic levels. Because frail older adults often lack the ability to advocate on their own behalf without assistance, CARIE provides individual advocacy through direct service and systemic advocacy through education and public policy initiatives.
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care was formed as NCCNHR (National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform) in 1975 because of public concern about substandard care in nursing homes. The Consumer Voice is the outgrowth of work first achieved by advocates working for Ralph Nader and later for the National Gray Panthers. Elma Holder, NCCNHR founder, was working with The Long-Term Care Action Project of the Gray Panthers when she organized a group meeting of advocates from across the country to attend a nursing home industry conference in Washington, DC.
The Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect at the UC Irvine School of Medicine's Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology is committed to eliminating the abuse and mistreatment of our community's elders. The Center also serves as the U.S. clearinghouse of information on elder abuse, neglect and exploitation for the National Center on Elder Abuse the national authority on elder abuse. With funding from the U.S. Administration on Aging, the Center provides technical assistance, training curricula, research findings and other materials.
