The First National Study of Elder Abuse and Neglect: Contrast with Results from Other Studies

The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study (NEAIS), conducted in 1994–1999 under the sponsorship of the US Administration for Children and Families and the Administration on Aging, was designed to obtain national estimates of both reported and unreported cases of elder abuse and neglect for 1996. This article contrasts the methods and results of this study with several previous studies to assess the reasons for differences in estimates. These differences include whether the study was designed to measure prevalence or incidence, the inclusiveness of the definitions, eligible age range, and methods of data collection. Future studies should combine incidence and prevalence and incorporate a sample design that will allow estimates for several age ranges and definitional subsets to meet different public policy requirements.