TY - JOUR PY - 2014// TI - Cognitive profiles of elder adult protective services clients living in squalor JO - Journal of elder abuse and neglect A1 - Aamodt, Whitley W. A1 - Terracina, Katherine A. A1 - Schillerstrom, Jason E. SP - 65 EP - 73 VL - 27 IS - 1 N2 - OBJECTIVES: To determine whether squalor-dwelling Adult Protective Services (APS) clients were more cognitively impaired than non-squalor dwelling APS clients referred for decision-making capacity assessments.

METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective medical record review of neuropsychological and demographic data gathered during decisional capacity assessments. Squalor-dwelling was defined by unsanitary living conditions that posed a danger to the occupant's health or safety. Mean neuropsychological test scores were compared between squalor-dwelling (n = 50) and non-squalor dwelling (n = 180) subjects.

RESULTS: Squalor-dwelling clients were significantly younger than non-squalor dwelling clients. There were no distribution differences between gender, education, race, or rural-dwelling status. Although both groups performed poorly on each neuropsychological measure, squalor dwellers demonstrated better memory and general cognitive performance.

CONCLUSIONS: Cognition, depression, gender, race, education, dementia diagnosis, and rural-dwelling status seem insufficient to explain squalor-dwelling behaviors. Other biological and psychosocial variables should be considered.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0894-6566 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08946566.2014.952484 ID - ref1 ER -