This document reports the findings of a study conducted for the Texas legislature to use in evaluating alternatives for dealing with elder abuse. The described study analyzed experiences with elder abuse of 1,653 Texas professionals in the fields of health and medicine, the judiciary, financial services, law enforcement, and social services. The introduction discusses the complexity of elder abuse as a public policy issue, elder abuse in Texas, the problem and possible solutions, and professional opinions about elder abuse. An overview of issues section defines abuse and neglect, examines causes of elder abuse, looks at the nature and extent of abuse, and discusses intervention and prevention issues. The survey approach, sampling, and procedures are described. A section on findings contains responses of all key informants in the areas of: (1) contact with abuse; (2) services provided; (3) services lacking; (4) perceived causes of abuse; and (5) most helpful services. Comparisons among professions are made in each of these five areas. A summary of findings notes that 769 respondents reported experiences with over 11,000 instances of elder abuse and that all professions reported relatively high exposure to unintentional neglect. Needed and helpful services such as respite for caregivers, adult protective services, social casework counseling, and home health and personal care are discussed. Appendices contain the survey instrument, findings from each of 10 professions, and a tabular summary of survey responses by profession. References, 4 figures, and 20 tables are included. (NB)