The National Institute on Aging, in partnership with the National Institute of Nursing Research has awarded a $1.6 million research grant to New York University Division of Nursing to study and better understand the likelihood and determinants of elder neglect.
Dr. Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN is the principal investigator. She is joined by Gregory Paveza, DSW, from the University of South Florida and Dr. Ivo Abraham, PhD, RN, FAAN, president of the Epsilon Group as co- principal investigators.
Neglect of older persons is a serious and prevalent health care problem, estimated to affect over 500,000 older adults annually in this country. "The subtle signs of neglect can be overlooked or inappropriately attributed to aging or disease in old age", says Fulmer, "when, in fact, neglectful care is the problem. The complex dyadic relationship of older adults and their caregivers needs to be carefully examined in order to understand and prevent neglect".
Neglect accounts for 60-70% of all elder mistreatment reports received by adult protective service offices. In order to understand the likelihood and determinants of neglect within the dyadic context of elder and caregiver, this new study will examine differences between neglect and non-neglect cases. The investigators will use a risk and vulnerability model as a framework for the study. Study subjects will be enrolled in four major urban emergency rooms (in New York City and the greater Tampa area) and then followed into the community.
Dr.Terry Fulmer is one of the first researchers in the field of elder mistreatment. Her years in acute care and emergency room nursing provided the impetus for this study. She and other researchers developed the Elder Assessment Instrument (EAI), a valid and reliable instrument for the detection and assessment of elder abuse and the EAI is widely used in health care facilities across the country. Dr. Fulmer is a professor of nursing at New York University Division of Nursing. Additionally, she is the Director of the Muriel and Virginia Pless Center for Nursing Research; Co-director for the John A. Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing; and Director of the Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers.
Dr. Ivo Abraham has focused on underserved elderly in rural Virginia and has started the Epsilon Group, which is a consulting firm for healthcare setting. He is a visiting professor at New York University Division of Nursing and serves as a statistical and measurement expert for the faculty.
Dr. Gregory Paveza has spent a significant portion of his career engaged in research related to issues of violence and abuse in families. He has collaborated with Dr. Donna Cohen on the Prototype Alzheimer's Collaborative Team and NIA funded Alzheimer's disease Registry.