Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation: Considerations in Aging With Lifelong Disabilities

Abstract

Persons with lifelong disabilities are newcomers to later life. Many are relatively high functioning, engaged, and happy members of their communities. Some are, and have been, victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This article reviews factors that contribute to the current incomplete picture of the victimization of these older adults, reports the state of existing data on prevalence and treatments, and suggests initiatives to strengthen continued community living and improve both prevention and identification strategies.

KEYWORDS:

• lifelong disabilities
• elder abuse
• prevention and intervention strategies

Notes

1. We use the terms developmental and lifelong disabilities interchangeably. The term lifelong is becoming common to distinguish the various developmental disabilities from late-onset or age-related disabilities; for example, see The Graz Declaration on Disability and Ageing, which was promulgated at the June 2006 meeting of the European Conference on Ageing and Disability (Weber & Wolfmayr, 2006).