Finding and preventing elder abuse in older veterans
Identifying Risk and Improving Care for Elder Abuse among Veterans
This project uses VA health records and better screening approaches to find older veterans who may be experiencing abuse so they can get help.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193229 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of efforts to make it easier for VA clinicians to spot elder abuse by improving the questions and screening they use. The team will also use VA medical records and other health data to build tools that flag veterans with signs or patterns that suggest possible abuse. The work aims to catch cases that routine screening can miss, such as veterans with dementia or complex medical needs. If flagged, veterans could be guided to follow-up assessments and support resources through the VA.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are veterans age 60 or older who receive care in the VA health system, especially those with risk factors for abuse or cognitive impairment.
Not a fit: Younger veterans, non-veterans, or people who do not receive care through the VA are unlikely to be included or to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more veterans experiencing abuse could be identified earlier and connected to appropriate care, protection, and support services.
How similar studies have performed: Previous screening tools for elder abuse have limited validation and data-driven detection approaches are relatively new, so this work builds on limited prior evidence.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- Veterans Health Administration — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Makaroun, Lena — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Makaroun, Lena
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.