Work

Empowering Older Adults and Reducing Harm Through Person-centered Endear Program

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: In Orange County, California, the Office of Public Guardian (OPG) investigates whether persons referred to OPG have resources and support to manage their financial and personal affairs. In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, OPG investigated 613 referrals. The UC Irvine Center for Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect and OPG partnered in a quality improvement project providing a person-centered case management program, ENding and Disrupting Elder Abuse Recidivism (ENDEAR), supported by the Administration for Community Living. A case manager and referred participants collaborated to identify health and safety improvement areas that could obviate a court petition to establish conservatorship where a conservator is appointed to manage the older adult’s financial affairs, personal affairs, or both. Participants (n=20, 70% female, mean age=78) receiving case management had a mean ADL score of 1.8 (0 independence to 6 total dependence), IADL score of 6.5 (0 independence to 8 total dependence), and financial capacity score of 4.9 (0 independence to 7 total dependence). All were at risk of experiencing self-neglect. Most had access to social support (n=15), including family, friends, and neighbors but lived alone (n=16). The case manager coordinated services based on home visits, needs assessments, and participants’ communicated goals. On average, the case manager made 4.6 home visits over a mean of 123.9 days (range 18-386). Paired t-tests showed improvement in clients’ safety (t(19)=4.88, p< 0.001) and lowered risk of self-neglect (t(19)=-4.41, p< 001). Findings suggest case management services support OPG goals by protecting older adults through improved safety and reduction in self-neglect.

Source: Innovation in Aging

DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igae098.2924