Evaluating the Cost Effectiveness of the Elder Abuse Forensic Center Model in Los Angeles County, California, 2007-2013 (ICPSR 35484)

Version Date: Jun 29, 2017

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Principal Investigator(s):
Michael Nichol, University of Southern California; Kathleen Wilber, University of Southern California; Joanne Wu, University of Southern California; Zachary Gassoumis, University of Southern California

https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR35484.v1

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Summary

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they there received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except of the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompany readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collections and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

This study evaluated the cost effectiveness of the Los Angeles Elder Abuse Forensic Center (EAFC) by examining costs associated elder abuse cases processed under a multidisciplinary team approach. Using data collected in Evaluating the Elder Abuse Forensic Center Model in Los Angeles County, California, 2007-2009 (ICPSR 34979) researchers focused on the key components, participants, and processes necessary to operate the Los Angeles EAFC and identified the costs required to process an elder abuse case as well as the outcomes attained by the EAFC. This study also carried out a survey of Adult Protective Service (APS) social workers on time spent on different case process activity and their perception on efficiency of the Los Angeles EAFC, and collected associated costs estimates.

Citation

Nichol, Michael, Wilber, Kathleen, Wu, Joanne, and Gassoumis, Zachary. Evaluating the Cost Effectiveness of the Elder Abuse Forensic Center Model in Los Angeles County, California, 2007-2013. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2017-06-29. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR35484.v1

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Funding

United States Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. National Institute of Justice (2011-IJ-CX-0015)

Subject Terms

Geographic Coverage

Restrictions

Access to these data is restricted. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete a Restricted Data Use Agreement, specify the reason for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research.

Distributor(s)

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
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Time Period(s)

2013-03-07 -- 2013-05-23, 2007-04-01 -- 2009-12-31, 2007 -- 2011

Date of Collection

2013-03-07 -- 2013-05-23, 2007-04-01 -- 2009-12-31

Data Collection Notes

  1. These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they there received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except of the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompany readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collections and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

  2. Included in this release are two SAS format files for each of the two SAS data files and one SAS syntax file with SAS code for the bootstrapping process. Please run the SAS format files, before using the data to avoid format errors.

  3. Please note that this study is related to Evaluating the Elder Abuse Forensic Center Model in Los Angeles County, California, 2007-2009 (ICPSR 34979).

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Study Purpose

The purpose of this study was to:

  • Examine the cost effectiveness of the Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Forensic Center (EAFC) model focusing on outcomes such as, prosecuting elder abuse, protecting vulnerable older adults through conservatorship, and reducing/preventing recurring cases of abuse.
  • Design a cost effectiveness evaluation protocol including input and outcome measures that can be used to evaluate the cost effectiveness of EAFCs in the future.

Study Design

This cost-effectiveness evaluation of the Los Angeles Elder Abuse Forensic Center (EAFC) used a quasi-experimental design adapted from a partial data set that was previously collected in Evaluating the Elder Abuse Forensic Center Model in Los Angeles County, California, 2007-2009 (ICPSR 34979).

Researchers identified key cost components for EAFC cases and APS cases. The first category was basis for usual care, which included average resources used in the investigation and management of possible elder abuse cases, and major costs, such as time spent on the case investigation by APS social workers. These were use as estimations of costs of elder abuse case processing. Case files were reviewed to capture all of the resources applied to each case. To validate APS time spent on a case, a survey was administered to weekly EAFC meeting participants, and time spent on different activities were collected. To estimate costs to develop and maintain EAFC, team members' weekly meeting attendance records were analyzed, and core team members were identified with estimates on time spent on case processing. Site costs were estimated from original grants that supported the EAFC and equally attributed on a per case basis to generate a marginal cost profile. To estimate staff and team members' salary multiple data sources were used, and converted to an hourly rate. All costs are reported in constant 2012 dollars.

Sample

Time estimate interviews data: 22 persons who participated in the weekly EAFC meeting between March 7 and May 23, 2013.

Cost effectiveness analysis data: A sample of 65 Elder Abuse Forensic Center (EAFC) cases was randomly drawn from the previous study sample of 179 EAFC cases. Then, the propensity matching algorithm used in Evaluating the Elder Abuse Forensic Center Model in Los Angeles County, California, 2007-2009 (ICPSR 34979) with an additional variable matching the case recurrence was used to generate an analysis sample. During the propensity match, 24 cases did not match with any of the 220 Adult Protective Services (APS) cases, therefore they were excluded. Two outlier cases from the APS group were excluded for the final analysis due to a long case investigation period, and a second case in which the client died after the case was reported to APS. The final matched sample included 41 cases from the EAFC data set, and 39 from the APS files.

Time Method

Cross-sectional

Universe

All elder abuse cases involving victims aged 65 or older reviewed at the Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Forensic Center and Los Angeles County Adult Protective Services between April 1, 2007 and December 31, 2009.

Los Angeles Elder Abuse Forensic Center weekly meeting participants, between March 7 and April 23, 2013.

Unit(s) of Observation

Individual, Case

Data Source

California government salary data 2012 (http://publicpay.ca.gov/Reports/RawExport.aspx)

Personnel budget from the original Elder Abuse Forensic Center (EAFC) grant.

TCN/AACN 2010 "Salary Survey": Professional Practices, Beliefs, and Incomes of U.S. Neuropsychologists

Los Angeles city employee earnings data 2012 (http://controller.lacity.org/Salary_Information/index.htm)

Data Type(s)

Mode of Data Collection

Description of Variables

Evaluating the Cost Effectiveness of the Elder Abuse Forensic Center Model in Los Angeles County, California, 2007-2013 data set consists of two SAS data files.

Time estimate interviews (ti.sas7bdat) SAS data file (n=22) consists of 93 variables on agency role and area; time spent on phone calls with reporter of abuse, client, suspected abuser, others, and service providers; time spent on visiting client at home, follow up, client at facilities, other activities when client is unavailable, and traveling to interview client; time spent on contacting persons to obtain documents, and documenting case activities; additional time spent on case preparing and presenting to the Elder Abuse Forensic Center (EAFC) meeting; comparison on speed of case closure, complexity, and outcomes between cases presented and not presented to the EAFC.

Cost effectiveness analysis (cea.sas7bdat) SAS data file (n=80) consists of 81 variables on time spent in case investigation, propensity matching identifier, days before case closure, client age, sex, and marital status, abuse type (physical, sexual, abduction, neglect, abandonment, isolation, financial, and self-neglect), and if case seen at EFAC. Prosecution variables included whether a case was submitted to the District Attorney for review, whether criminal charges were filed, whether guilt was established by plea or conviction, sentencing information, and time from APS opening the case to filing and from filing to case closure. Conservatorship variables include whether the case was referred for conservatorship, whether conservatorship was granted, and if so whether it was public conservatorship of the person and estate, just the estate or a third-party, if conservatorship was deemed unnecessary (informal supports, client was self-sufficient or in a facility), and if the case was closed due to client death. Case referral/reporting source variables such as if referred/reported by IHSS, CSWC, DPSS, law enforcement, senior program agency, home health agency, hospital, mental health center, landlord, neighbor, friend, client, financial institution representative, or relative. Cost variables such as, Adult Protective Service (APS) hour rate, Elder Abuse Forensic Center (EAFC) member cost, EAFC facility cost, APS case process cost, and case process cost. Other variables included were number of client recurrent cases in 90 and 180 days prior and after to baseline case, and difference in recurrent cases prior and post 180 and 365 days.

Response Rates

Not applicable

Presence of Common Scales

Several Likert-type scales were used.

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Original Release Date

2017-06-29

Version History

2018-02-15 The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented. The previous citation was:
  • Nichol, Michael, Kathleen Wilber, Joanne Wu, and Zachary Gassoumis. Evaluating the Cost Effectiveness of the Elder Abuse Forensic Center Model in Los Angeles County, California, 2007-2013. ICPSR35484-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2017-06-29. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR35484.v1
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Weight

None

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Notes

  • These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

  • The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.

  • One or more files in this data collection have special restrictions. Restricted data files are not available for direct download from the website; click on the Restricted Data button to learn more.