An Initial Evaluation of the Weinberg Center for Elder Justice's Shelter Model for Elder Abuse and Mistreatment

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smucker, Sierra

Contributor:

Cahill, Meagan

Daly, John

Friedman, Esther M.

Shih, Regina A.

Taylor, Jirka

Language:

English

Place of Publication:

Santa Monica, Calif. RAND Corporation 2021

Summary:

Elder abuse or mistreatment (EM) — which includes psychological, physical, and sexual abuse; neglect; and financial exploitation of older adults — is a widespread problem that can have devastating consequences. People subjected to abuse or mistreatment are more likely to experience depression, cognitive decline, reduced quality of life, and premature mortality. Individuals experiencing EM often need a variety of interventions to restore health, recover from trauma, resolve or recoup financial losses, separate from their abusers, and relocate to new housing. This report presents an initial evaluation of the nation's first elder-specific shelter — the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Justice, which is part of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale. Located in the Bronx, New York, the Hebrew Home is a nonprofit residential health care facility with 560 beds, part of a continuum of care community that provides a full spectrum of health care, home care, and housing on a nonsectarian basis. The authors seek to shed light on the Weinberg Center model, which aims to benefit the growing number of individuals experiencing EM and also may have wider societal benefits. Specifically, the authors describe the Weinberg Center's shelter model, examine some of the more important outcomes for Weinberg Center clients, and begin to quantify some of the costs and benefits, including potential cost savings, of the model for individuals experiencing EM, public payers, and society. However, it is important to note that this is an initial evaluation with a limited scope. A full evaluation would employ a rigorous experimental design.