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Abstract: 

In this first-person article the authors note that the process of researching clinical practice is a dicey one—fraught with numerous practical, ethical, clinical, and research design challenges. It is no surprise, then, that little research has been conducted to date on clinical aspects involved in responding to suspected abuse of people who are elderly or have disabilities. This column will describe a research project that is near completion—“The Sexual Abuse of Vulnerable Adults in Facilities”— the first national study to analyze abuse reports, investigations, and case outcomes involving vulnerable adults ages 18 and over residing in care facilities. They discuss what was done and why, how it was accomplished, and the challenges faced in attempting to analyze the abuse investigation process. They anticipate that the results will inform clinical practice to the benefit of people who depend upon care they receive in facility placements.

Keywords: abuse definitions; securing access to data and funding; creating a research team

Affiliations:  1: sociologist ; 2: University of Kentucky Graduate Center for Gerontology; 3: University of Kentucky.