CU Anschutz team helping prevent elder abuse

Elder abuse and neglect are major problems – they happen to one in 10 older adults in the United States – and often hide in plain sight.

“A lot of times it’s happening right in front of our eyes, and we don’t recognize it,” said Sarah Tietz, MD, assistant professor of medicine-geriatrics in the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is taking the lead in identifying, intervening and ultimately curbing the scourge of elder abuse. The CU Anschutz VESPA (Vulnerable Elder Services, Protection and Advocacy) Team recently formed, becoming the nation’s second multidisciplinary clinical team in elder abuse. VESPA is a collaboration between CU Anschutz, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver Health Medical Center and the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect.

“Elder abuse doesn’t have very much research or people who specialize in it on the medicine side of things,” said Tietz, a member of VESPA. “Of course, APS (Adult Protective Services) and often the police are involved, but there are not a lot of medical providers who really know how to identify and respond to abuse or neglect.”

The following is a Q&A with Tietz about VESPA’s operations and the significant problem of elder abuse and neglect.