RAISING AWARENESS AND ADDRESSING ELDER ABUSE IN THE LGBT COMMUNITY

of specific mistreatment behaviors. However, objective definitions of EM might not align with the way elder victims subjectively perceive the problem. Guided by a constructivist perspective, this study sought to determine whether older adults who are viewed as EM victims according to objective standards assign different appraisals of subjective seriousness to the problem. Further, we sought to identify factors from several ecological levels associated with varying levels of subjectively appraised severity. Data came from a population-based study that conducted direct telephone inter-views with a representative sample (n=4156) of community-dwelling, cognitively intact older adults in New York State. The Conflict Tactics Scale and Duke Older Americans Resources and Services scales were used to assess elder emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. Among objectively assigned mis-treated older adults, problem seriousness was operationalized as an ordinal variable (not/somewhat/very serious). Across mistreatment types, older adults subjectively appraised abuse or neglect as a problem at a lower rate than what was assigned as EM using objective criteria. Using multivariate ordinal regres-sion, variation in subjectively assigned severity was predicted by factors such as gender, education, marital status, activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL functional capacity, perpetrator relationship type, and perpetrator co-habitation status. Findings challenge existing operational definitions of EM. Determinants of subjective seriousness may inform our understanding of differential victim help-seeking behaviors.


UNDERSTANDING ELDER ABUSE VICTIM SUBJECTIVE APPRAISAL OF MISTREATMENT
D. Burnes 1 , K. Pillemer 2 , D. Burnette 3 , M. Lachs 4 , 1. University of Toronto,Toronto,Ontario,Canada,2. Cornell University,New York City,New York,3. Virginia Commonwealth University,Richmond,Virginia,4. Weill Cornell Medical College,New York City,New York To date, elder mistreatment (EM) research has largely examined the problem according to objective criteria, such as the occurrence or frequency of specific mistreatment behaviors. However, objective definitions of EM might not align with the way elder victims subjectively perceive the problem. Guided by a constructivist perspective, this study sought to determine whether older adults who are viewed as EM victims according to objective standards assign different appraisals of subjective seriousness to the problem. Further, we sought to identify factors from several ecological levels associated with varying levels of subjectively appraised severity. Data came from a population-based study that conducted direct telephone interviews with a representative sample (n=4156) of communitydwelling, cognitively intact older adults in New York State. The Conflict Tactics Scale and Duke Older Americans Resources and Services scales were used to assess elder emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. Among objectively assigned mistreated older adults, problem seriousness was operationalized as an ordinal variable (not/somewhat/very serious). Across mistreatment types, older adults subjectively appraised abuse or neglect as a problem at a lower rate than what was assigned as EM using objective criteria. Using multivariate ordinal regression, variation in subjectively assigned severity was predicted by factors such as gender, education, marital status, activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL functional capacity, perpetrator relationship type, and perpetrator co-habitation status. Findings challenge existing operational definitions of EM. Determinants of subjective seriousness may inform our understanding of differential victim help-seeking behaviors.

RAISING AWARENESS AND ADDRESSING ELDER ABUSE IN THE
LGBT COMMUNITY G.M. Gutman, C. Robson, J. Marchbank, K. Blair, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults are often described as an "invisible" population. This invisibility is multiply determined and based on stigma, as well as concealment (i.e. "in the closet", a response to being labelled as immoral, sick, criminal). Research has begun to explore the lives of these older adults revealing demographic and health conditions rooted in stigma. For example, compared with their heterosexual age peers, LGBT older adults are more likely to live alone, less likely to be partnered, less likely to have children or be supported by the children they have. They also report high rates of loneliness and isolation. These characteristics are well known risk factors for elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. The goals of our project were 1) to raise awareness of elder abuse within the LGBT community and to familiarize current/potential victims with services available in their local community 2) to raise awareness among service providers of the special needs/risks for LGBT older adults.
METHOD: The project developed in two stages. The first, intergenerational and collaborative, brought together a group of queer older adult creative writers (QUIRK-E) with a group of queer young activists, advocates and educators (Youth for a Change) to creat LGBT-relevant videos, posters and fact sheets. The second stage was a series of Town Hall meetings held in 6 communities in British Columbia, Canada.
RESULTS: 3 videos and 5 high impact poster/fact sheets were produced. One video illustrated neglect of a transgender man in a care facility setting, the second psychological and physical abuse in a lesbian couple, the third financial abuse in a gay male couple. The poster/fact sheets defined physical, sexual, emotional, financial abuse and neglect and listed local services providing help. These were well received by Town Hall attendees (n=21-57), triggering active discussion and post-meeting visits to our website (www.sfu.ca/lgbteol) where they are posted and may be downloaded free of charge.
CONCLUSION: This project demonstrated that the silos that characterize services to abused older adults, the LGBT community and the general population of older adults can be bridged by projects that involve the local community, as this one did, starting from the proposal development stage. Additional groups were added as the Town Hall meetings were organized. In each of the 6 communities in which these were held agencies and organizations are collaborating in ways they did not before. The tools developed fill a gap in relavent resources available for this particular often marginalized group of seniors.