Elder Abuse and Neglect is one of the many types of interpersonal violence that ICVP addresses through its major initiatives. 

The older adult is growing at an unprecedented pace - in fact, in a few years one in five Americans will be 60 or over, and for the first time in history there will be more people over the age of 85 than under the age of 15.  Unfortunately, elder abuse is also becoming a major concern, whether it be physical or emotional abuse, willful deprivation of medication or other needed services, or financial exploitation.  It is estimated that for every report of elder abuse that is made, 14 cases go unreported, and ninety percent of incidents are by known perpetrators, usually family members.

ICVP has partnered with Illinois' Aging Network to inform violence prevention practitioners of the risk factors for elder abuse and neglect as well as the available resources and strategies to prevent or intervene in cases of abuse and neglect.

ICVP is building the foundation for a strategic effort to reduce the number of older victims of domestic violence in Illinois by bridging the elder abuse and domestic violence systems that work to protect them.  Since spouse abuse over 60 does not differ significantly from the under 60 population, and spouses are more likely than other caregivers to be abusive, coordinating the domestic violence and elder abuse systems' services is critical.

On June 21, 2005, a one-day conference was held in partnership with the Illinois Attorney General's Office to convene these two fields.  Nationally recognized experts, Bonnie Brandl, MSW and Jane Raymond, M.S. facilitated an interactive training that covered the dynamics of domestic violence in later life, how victims needs can be met and effective strategies for working together across systems.

ICVP looks forward to keeping you informed of developments and next steps in this special project.