New Tool Could Help Prevent Self-Neglect and Improve Treatment for At-Risk Older Adults

A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society details how a tool developed by Rutgers University's Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research (IFH) could help people check up on older loved ones to make sure they are not neglecting themselves, reports News-Medical . IFH Director XinQi Dong said the goal of the project "is to provide healthcare providers, aging professionals, and others who already interact with older adults frequently, a brief tool to quantify self-neglect risks without the need for formal in-home visits." The tool uses 10 questions to accurately predict whether older adults in the community might be prone to self-neglect. The IFH researchers used data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project to identify predictors of self-neglect, like hypertension, wearing a hearing aid, and the use of aspirin, and based the questions on those factors. The study concentrated on non-Hispanic black and white older adults living in three Chicago neighborhoods. "With further studies and analyses focusing on different populations, particularly underrepresented minorities, this tool could improve treatment for at-risk older adults and help to prevent self-neglect," said IFH's Bei Wang.