This Article Full Text (OnlineFirst PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Pinsker, D. M. Articles by Pachana, N. A. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Exploitation in Older Adults: Social Vulnerability and Personal Competence Factors

The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: d.pinsker{at}psy.uq.edu.au.

	Abstract

Clinicians are frequently called upon to determine whether an older adult is at undue risk of exploitation and, in particular, financial exploitation. However, there is currently no widely accepted clinical model for describing or explaining who will fall victim to exploitation in later life, and identification of vulnerable older people has been a somewhat onerous process. In this article, an overarching theoretical framework for conceptualizing such forms of vulnerability and its assessment in older adults is presented. Central to this framework are various personal competence factors (i.e., intelligence, cognitive functioning, social intelligence, social skill, personality traits, physical functioning) that purportedly contribute to, or protect against, exploitation. Recommendations and argument for a more holistic approach to assessing and educating potentially vulnerable older adults are presented, as well as directions for future research.

First published on October 1, 2009
Journal of Applied Gerontology 2009, doi:10.1177/0733464809346559


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?