# Characterizing Elder Mistreatment Among Older Adults with Dementia

> **NIH NIH K01** · EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER, INC. · 2024 · $142,125

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
This mentored research project focuses on the intersection between two urgent and related threats to older
adults’ health and safety: Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) and elder mistreatment (EM).
Elder mistreatment (EM) prevalence estimates for older adults with cognitive impairment range from 27.5%-
55%. High prevalence of EM among persons with dementia (PWD) is unsurprising considering that many of
the risk factors for EM are related to dependency and caregiving. However, logistical and methodological
challenges as well as the high costs associated with studying mistreatment among PWD have contributed to a
dearth of research on the topic. Existing research has relied on small, cross-sectional studies and have not
provided the data required to produce evidence-based tools for EM screening and intervention tailored to the
growing population of PWD. This project will fill critical knowledge gaps by leveraging an already existing large
longitudinal dataset from UCLA’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program (ADC Program) to describe the
phenomenon of EM and identify modifiable risk factors for EM among PWD that can be applied in subsequent
intervention generation, refinement, and adaptation. Aim 1 is a qualitative study of expert dementia care
specialists (DCS) experiences with EM to inform revisions to a data abstraction tool used in Aim 2. Focus
groups with DCS from 16 clinical settings across the US will be conducted to examine: perspectives on EM
frequency, severity, and triggers; barriers and facilitators to identifying EM in patients with varying levels of
dementia severity; and ethical and practical implications of addressing EM. Aim 2 will describe EM type and
frequencies among a well-defined sample of PWD from the ADC program. To conduct the analyses, EM data
will be extracted from patient medical records and combined with existing sociodemographic and clinical
measures. Aim 3 will utilize the same ADC program dataset to characterize EM risk and protective factors
among patient/caregiver dyads using hierarchical logistic regression modeling comparing PWD who
experienced EM to those who did not. Kristin Lees Haggerty, PhD, a Project Director and researcher at
Education Development Center (EDC), is in an ideal position to lead this work. Dr. Lees Haggerty has an
academic background in population health and applied psychology, demonstrated productivity in aging
research, and a strong network of collaborators and mentors in academic, clinical, and community settings. Dr.
Lees Haggerty has developed a comprehensive training and mentorship plan that will prepare her to become
an independent investigator devoted to improving older adults’ health and safety. The training plan includes
course work and experiential learning opportunities addressing four key areas: ADRD research; clinical trial
design and implementation science; health care policy making; and manuscript and grant writing. The
interdisciplinary m...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10764275
- **Project number:** 5K01AG076992-02
- **Recipient organization:** EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Kristin Lees Haggerty
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $142,125
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-01-15 → 2027-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10764275

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10764275, Characterizing Elder Mistreatment Among Older Adults with Dementia (5K01AG076992-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10764275. Licensed CC0.

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