Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services

Community Assessment Tool

Protection

IDENTIFYING YOUR Resources

  • Is your community safe for older adults and their families?
  • What is the current rate of reported abuse, fraud, and exploitation among older adults in your community?
  • What is the process for reporting/referral of abuse, neglect, and exploitation?
  • What resources are available to protect older adults in cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation (e.g., shelters, placement, emergency services, investigation, prosecution)?
  • Do law enforcement officers receive training on how to detect and intervene in cases of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation?
  • Do health care providers (outpatient, hospital, skilled nursing facilities) receive training in order to prevent, detect, and treat older adults who are victims of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation?
  • Do employees of financial institutions receive training on how to detect and intervene in cases of financial exploitation and theft?
  • Will the current protective services system meet the needs of the projected number of older adults in five, 10, or 20 years?

BUILDING YOUR COMMUNITY

  • Do organizations conduct routine screening and assessments to detect elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation?
  • What are the primary strengths of protective services?
  • What are the primary gaps in protective services system?
  • Are older adults able to access the protective services system?
  • Do protective services meet the needs cited by older adults?
    • How can you assess the need for protection among older adults in your community?
  • Are the following protective service providers adequately coordinating service
    • Regulatory agencies
    • Law enforcement
    • Financial institutions
    • Health care providers
    • Legal service providers
  • What types of public education are available on how to prevent, detect, and report older adults who are victims of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation?
  • Are older adults aware of the protective services available to them?
  • How do older adults in your community learn about protective services available to them?
  • What are your current methods of outreach to educate older consumers about protective services?
  • How can you improve outreach/awareness of protective services in your community?

Back to Step 4: Assess Where your Are Today

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Updated: November 2, 2007