Table 1.
Characteristics, Attitudes and Knowledge of 141 Police Officers
| Characteristics | All police officers (n=141) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, years, No. (%) | ||
| <30 | 22 (16) | |
| 30–54 | 109 (77) | |
| 55–65 | 7 (5) | |
| >65 | 3 (2) | |
|
| ||
| Female, No. (%) | 35 (25) | |
|
| ||
| Race/ethnicity, No. (%) | ||
| White | 65 (46) | |
| Black | 7 (5) | |
| Latino | 23 (16) | |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 31 (22) | |
| Other or more than one race | 15 (11) | |
|
| ||
| Professional experience, years, No. (%) | ||
| 1–4 | 38 (27) | |
| 5–20 | 86 (61) | |
| >20 | 17 (12) | |
|
| ||
| Frequency of encounters with older adults, No. (%) | ||
| Less than monthly | 16 (11) | |
| Monthly or a few times per month | 50 (35) | |
| Weekly or a few times each week | 51 (36) | |
| Daily | 24 (17) | |
|
| ||
| Geriatrics Attitudes Scale, mean (SD)a | 3.7 (0.4) | |
|
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| Score >3 | 136 (96) | |
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| Self-rated knowledge about working with older adults, No. (%) | ||
| No specific knowledge | 16 (12) | |
| Some or average knowledge | 78 (56) | |
| Knowledgeable | 32 (23) | |
| Very knowledgeable | 13 (9) | |
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| Self-reported knowledge in geriatrics, No. (%)b | ||
|
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| Can describe how depression, delirium, and dementia each affect older adults | 89 (63) | |
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| Can identify and assess barriers to communication such as hearing and/or vision impairments, speech difficulties, aphasia, limited health literacy, and cognitive disorders | 103 (74) | |
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| Can describe the various types of surrogate decision makers, including public guardians or appointed power of attorneys | 66 (47) | |
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| Can identify older persons at high safety risk, including for unsafe driving or elder abuse or neglect, and know what to do once you’ve identified the risk | 125 (89) | |
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| Can describe 3 organizations in San Francisco that provide social services specifically for older adults | 59 (42) | |
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| Received prior training in working with older adults in current profession, No. (%) | 117 (84) | |
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| Self-rated importance of further training in working with older adults, No. (%) | ||
| Not important | 7 (5) | |
| Moderately important | 70 (50) | |
| Very important | 63 (45) | |
a
Measured using the 14-item Geriatrics Attitudes Scale15
b
Defined as a response of “moderately can do,” “probably can do,” or “very certain can do” the listed skills