Rural Health
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Research Alert: December 12, 2024

Variation in Elder Abuse State Statutes by State Level of Rurality

As older adults become a larger proportion of the population, their social and health needs continue to warrant further attention. This is particularly true for older adults in rural areas, where they are a relatively faster growing demographic, compared with older adults in urban areas. One public health concern that needs closer study is older adult maltreatment or elder abuse, and specifically social-contextual factors that lead to geographic differences in preventing and addressing abuse. This policy brief examines elements of state-level elder abuse statutes' definitions and reporting requirements to investigate potential differences in these policies by state rurality that could influence one's understanding of elder abuse among rural and urban areas.

Key Findings:

  • Types of elder abuse and reporting laws defined in state statutes do not differ significantly among three categories of state-level rurality (Most Rural, Somewhat Rural, and Least Rural states). However, definition detail, coverage, and reporting laws vary widely across states in general.
  • 72.2% of the Most Rural, 55.6% of the Somewhat Rural, and 66.7% of the Least Rural states clearly covered all six abuse types in their state statutes, with self-neglect and sexual abuse the least likely to be clearly mentioned.
  • Universal mandated reporting was present in one-third of the Most Rural states, 27.8% of Somewhat Rural states, and 26.7% of the Least Rural states.
  • Medical staff, law enforcement/first responders, and social workers were the most commonly listed mandated reporters across states with wide variation in the number and categories of reporters listed in state statutes.
Contact Information:

Carrie Henning-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Phone: 612.626.4512
henn0329@umn.edu

Additional Resources of Interest: