Protection Through Empowerment: Transforming Elder Abuse Interventions Through RISE
- hsuh482
- Jun 18
- 3 min read
RISE: A Conceptual Model of Integrated and Restorative Elder Abuse Intervention
Target Audience: Social Workers, Policy Makers, APS Professionals, Family Caregivers
The Research Goal
As more older individuals continue to reach out to Adult Protective Services, it is critical to understand the true effectiveness of APS interventions. Cases of elder mistreatment and abuse have significantly risen over recent years, requiring a well defined intervention response that has been tested for its efficiency and success. The RISE model operates at a relational, individual, social, and environmental level, working to establish a more person centered approach that would better support the individual. The service combines restorative and community based approaches in improving long term outcomes for older adults, filling the gaps of traditional Adult Protective Services.
Main Takeaway
Traditional responses to elder abuse carried out by Adult Protective Services often struggle at finding a safe balance between safety and autonomy. The RISE program demonstrates how the use of more person centered and research driven approaches could better address cases of elder abuse while preserving an individual's right to make their own decisions. As mistreatment cases continue to grow in number, RISE may work alongside APS in promoting outcomes that best benefit elder mistreatment victims.
Context and Background
While millions of older adults continue to experience physical, emotional, and financial forms of elder abuse each year, many cases end up going unreported. Adult protective services has worked as a primary public agency set in charge of responding to these cases of elder abuse but often fails at providing long term support after cases are resolved. Many victims of elder abuse often refuse services as traditional approaches create tension between protecting adults and respecting their right to make decisions. Thus it is necessary that interventions in elder mistreatment cases involve repairing relationships and strengthening support networks in allowing positive outcomes in the long term after cases are closed. The RISE program was established to accomplish this goal, integrating restorative justice and person centered choices in allowing a more effective approach to elder abuse intervention.
Key Findings
1: Elder Abuse Interventions Often End After Crisis Response
APS and other services involved in providing interventions in cases of elder abuse often focus upon providing the most immediate solutions. These solutions often fail at addressing the root causes of elder mistreatment, subsequently worsening life quality of elder abuse victims. Surprisingly enough, removing the victim from their abuser isn’t the most effective solution in elder abuse cases. So while Adult Protective Services may be highly effective at investigating abuse and addressing immediate safety concerns, they often lack a more structured approach that is necessary in supporting older adults after the initial crisis has been addressed.
2: Safety and Autonomy Should Not be Treated as Competing Goals
While it is necessary to remove victims of elder abuse from immediate harm, an individual’s autonomy must be considered to an equal degree. Many elder abuse cases involve situations in which older adults wish to continue maintaining relationships with family members or reject certain protective services. The RISE model emphasizes this point in how protecting older adults doesn’t require the removal of the ability to make decisions.
3: Elder Abuse is Influenced by Multiple Interconnected Factors
Abuse can not be understood solely through the actions of the victim or perpetrator. These cases are rather shaped by individual circumstances, family relationships, social support networks, environmental, community, and several other factors. The complexities that exist within elder abuse cases led to the development of the RISE framework, emphasizing the need to examine relational, individual, social, and environmental factors that all influence these cases. APS and other services must ultimately acknowledge these complexities, working to establish solutions that help in the long term.
4: Collaboration Across Disciplines is Essential
In order for elder abuse intervention to be successful, social workers, healthcare providers, family members, and APS professionals must collaborate to address the complex needs of older adults experiencing abuse. Effective elder abuse intervention requires more than crisis response. By combining person centered care, restorative justice, and collaborative support networks, the RISE model offers a framework for protecting adults while preserving their autonomy. In order to promote long term well being, policy makers must work alongside APS in developing more efficient interventions.
Burnes, D., Breckman, R., Henderson, C. R., Lachs, M. S., Pillemer, K., & Acierno, R. (2023). The RISE model: An intervention framework to address elder abuse. The Gerontologist, 63(6), 966–976. https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/63/6/966/6608975
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