2019 Lesson 18: Elder Abuse Investigations - Part 3

This is part three of a three-part online technical skills course focused on elder abuse investigations. Section nine provides a description of the types of evidence officers should collect/document in elder abuse cases, including specific photographs/physical evidence, financial and legal records, medical records, and interviews.

Section ten provides tips on conducting effective investigations while working with diverse populations and describes how beliefs, and norms within different cultures may affect how a person experiences and reports elder abuse. The lesson examines elder abuse in the following populations: African Americans, Latinos, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and LGBT people. It provides interview tips.

Section eleven describes Missouri’s mandatory reporter requirements applicable to elder abuse cases. It explains who must report suspected abuse, defines abuse, describes what information an officer’s report of abuse must contain, and explains when officers may arrange for the involuntary transportation of an eligible adult to an appropriate medical facility.

Section twelve examines the elements of various offenses in the Missouri criminal code that officers must understand to properly investigate elder abuse.  Specifically, the section examines: abuse of an elderly person, failure to report elder abuse, filing a false report, sexual conduct with a nursing facility resident, sexual conduct with a skilled nursing facility resident, and financial exploitation of the elderly and disabled.