Focus Groups with Individuals Aged 60 and Over Who Have Experienced Abuse

OMB Number: 1105-0NEW Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

Focus Groups with Individuals Aged 60 and Over Who Have Experienced Abuse, Neglect, and/or Financial Exploitation, Family, and Friends

Recruitment/Sampling Screener

The following one-minute screener will be used to recruit individuals aged 60 or older who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or financial exploitation to participate in the focus group and ensure sampling criteria is met.

1. Which of the following best describes you? (Pick one)

• Individual aged 60 or older who experienced abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation

• Guardian of an individual aged 60 or older who experienced abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation

• Family (non-guardian) of an individual aged 60 or older who experienced abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation

• Friend of an individual aged 60 or older who experienced abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation

• Not Listed (please describe): ________________________________________________

2. Please select the state you live in. [Note for survey programmer: create dropdown menu]

3. What is the zip code of the area you live in? [Note for survey programmer: create dropdown menu]

4. Which best describes the area in which you live:

• Urban

• Suburban

• Rural

• Tribal

5. What is your age? [Note for survey programmer: create dropdown menu]

6. How do you currently describe yourself? (Select all that apply):

• Female

• Male

• Transgender, non-binary, or another gender

• Not Listed (if you would like to provide your gender identity, you can specify here):

7. Which of the best describes how you think about yourself? You may select as many as apply.

• Bisexual

• Gay or lesbian

• Straight or heterosexual

• I use a different term (if you would like to provide your sexual orientation, you can specify here):

• I don’t know

8. What are your living arrangements?

• Alone

• With spouse or partner

• With family

• Not Listed (please specify):

9. Are you Hispanic or Latino:

• No, not Hispanic or Latino

• Yes, Hispanic or Latino

10. Which of the following describes your race? (Select all that apply)

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian or Asian American

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 

• White 

• Not Listed (if you would like to provide your race, you can specify here): __________ 

11. Education 

• Some high school  

• High school 

• Some college 

• Associate degree 

• Bachelor’s degree  

• Graduate/professional degree 

12. Which of these categories best describes your total household income in 2023 before taxes?

• Under $20,000

• $20,000 - $39,999

• $40,000 - $59,999

• $60,000 - $79,999

• $80,000 - $99,999

• $100,000 or more

13. Why did you seek victim services?

• Physical Abuse/Assault (Someone hurt me and caused injury)

• Sexual Abuse/Rape (Someone forced sexual acts on me)

• Psychological Abuse (Someone hurt me emotionally or psychologically; threatened, scared, disrespected, or humiliated me)

• Neglect (Someone who was supposed to take care of me did not meet my basic needs, like food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene, and medical care)

• Financial Exploitation (Someone used my money or property improperly or without my permission, including stealing money)

• Financial Fraud (Someone lied or tricked me into giving them money)

Focus Group Protocol

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this focus group. I’m [Insert name], and I will facilitate the focus group today. I am joined by [Insert support staff], and they will be taking notes. On behalf of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Elder Justice Initiative (EJI), ICF (an independent research and consulting firm) is conducting research to: (1) understand what services are available for individuals age 60 or older who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or financial exploitation, (2) understand what it’s like trying to find and get services for abuse, neglect, and/or financial exploitation, and (3) find out which services people really need but are currently unavailable. The findings from this research will help the EJI better understand and develop strategies to address these needs across the country. EJI supports national, state, and local communities in their efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation through enforcement, training, education, outreach, and victim services. This focus group will last 60 to 90 minutes. Participating in this focus group is voluntary; you may end the focus group at any time and choose not to answer questions. We will protect the confidentiality of your responses using procedures we have in place, including aggregating responses so that no information is personally identifiable. Only members of the ICF Research Team have access to information that could identify respondents. Before we get started, do you have any questions about this focus group?

1. Awareness of Services 

1. How did you learn about services and resources available to you for abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation? (e.g., law enforcement, D.A.’s Offices organization referral, court referral, family/peer, internet, printed advertisement, signage, others) 

2. Do you believe that you were made aware of the variety of services and resources available to individuals over the age of 60 who have experienced abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation in your community?  What was missing?  

3. Is there a better method for telling individuals over the age of 60 who have experienced abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation about available services and resources? And if so, what would that be? Looking back, how would you suggest that others like yourself be notified of services and resources? 

2. Access to Services 

1. Once you became aware of available services, were they easy to access (e.g., making connections, getting the services you were looking for)?  In what ways?

• If not, what types of services were most difficult to access? And what were those difficulties? 

• How long did it take you to get services? Were you placed on a waitlist?

• Were there any services you were uncomfortable asking for? Why? What could make you more comfortable asking for those types of services?

1. What difficulties have you experienced when trying to access victim services?  

2. What would make it easier to access services? 

3. Services Received 

1. What type of services have you received? And by what agency(ies) or kinds of agencies? (i.e., family assistance, donations, shelters, emergency financial assistance, legal services, advocacy) 

• How long have you been receiving services? 

• Which services did you receive and how did these services help you:

• Immediately

• As you went through the criminal justice process (e.g., investigation, prosecution)

• In the long term?

• Were the services you received sensitive to your individual needs?

• If yes, how so?  If no, in what way? For example, if you required a translator, had accessibility needs (e.g., transportation), cultural considerations, or other services customized to your needs; were service providers able to meet/understand your needs, empathetic? 

8. In your opinion, were services provided in a way that made you feel comfortable/uncomfortable? In what ways?

9. Did you have any needs that were not met? (e.g., family assistance, donations, shelters, emergency financial assistance, legal services)  

• If yes, what types of services would have been helpful?  

• Immediately

• As you went through the criminal justice process (e.g., investigation, prosecution)

• In the long term?

• In your opinion, why were you not able to receive needed services? 

10. How would you describe your overall experience with the services received? 

4. Future Directions and Recommendations 

11. Overall, what recommendations do you have for improving services for individuals over the age of 60 who have experienced abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation? 

• Immediately

• As you went through the criminal justice process (e.g., investigation, prosecution)

• In the long term

11. What could service providers do to be more inclusive? (e.g., culture, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability)

• What do you think is the most helpful service for individuals over the age of 60 who have experienced abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation? Why?  

• What is the most important thing for service providers to know about experiences with services for individuals over the age of 60 who have experienced abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation?

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this focus group. Your responses are critical to ensuring that EJI’s programs are responsive to the needs of individuals aged 60 and older who have experienced abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. As a reminder, if you have any questions or feedback regarding the research study please contact the Principal Investigators Dr. Alana Henninger and Dr. Bhuvana Sukumar by email at NEAVSNA@icf.com or by telephone at 410-539-4160 (Alana) and (404) 592-2122 (Bhuvana).

Public Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control Number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 90 minutes, including time for reviewing instructions and completing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Andy Mao, Project Coordinator and National Elder Justice Coordinator, US Department of Justice, at Andy.Mao@usdoj.gov or by mail at 175 N Street NE, Washington, DC, 20002, and reference the OMB Control Number-1105-0NEW.

OMB Appendices

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