Better Communication, Training Prevent Abuse

Abstract

Mary Ellen Schneider is with the New York bureau of Elsevier Global Medical News.HOLLYWOOD, FLA. — Preventing elder abuse in the nursing home involves an ongoing strategy of staff training and communication with residents and families, Ray Koenig, J.D., said at the annual symposium of the American Medical Directors Association.The best way to address elder abuse in an institutional setting is to take measures to prevent such issues or complaints from arising, said Mr. Koenig, a Chicago-based lawyer who has worked on elder abuse issues.An effective risk-management strategy for preventing abuse in the nursing home should include screening all employees and verifying their credentials, as well as ongoing staff training in areas such as language and sensitivity. The staff also should be encouraged to be vigilant about problems in the facility and to report those problems, Mr. Koenig said.Communication with staff, residents, and family members also is critical, he said. One of the things that everyone needs to know is how to initiate internal complaints. And residents should have a way to lodge their complaints with multiple levels of staff, not just their direct care providers.Nursing home administrators should also consider consulting a lawyer early on to help develop risk-management procedures and training programs, Mr. Koenig said.Elder abuse, in and outside the nursing home, can run the spectrum from physical, sexual, or emotional abuse to confinement, passive neglect, willful deprivation, or even financial exploitation, said Dr. Martin Gorbien, director of geriatric medicine at Rush Medical College, Chicago. The victims tend to be women, with an average age of 77, and functionally impaired. Some risk factors include poor staffing coverage and inadequate training as well as poor impulse control, drug and alcohol dependence, and mental illness among the staff, Dr. Gorbien said. Mary Ellen Schneider is with the New York bureau of Elsevier Global Medical News. HOLLYWOOD, FLA. — Preventing elder abuse in the nursing home involves an ongoing strategy of staff training and communication with residents and families, Ray Koenig, J.D., said at the annual symposium of the American Medical Directors Association. The best way to address elder abuse in an institutional setting is to take measures to prevent such issues or complaints from arising, said Mr. Koenig, a Chicago-based lawyer who has worked on elder abuse issues. An effective risk-management strategy for preventing abuse in the nursing home should include screening all employees and verifying their credentials, as well as ongoing staff training in areas such as language and sensitivity. The staff also should be encouraged to be vigilant about problems in the facility and to report those problems, Mr. Koenig said. Communication with staff, residents, and family members also is critical, he said. One of the things that everyone needs to know is how to initiate internal complaints. And residents should have a way to lodge their complaints with multiple levels of staff, not just their direct care providers. Nursing home administrators should also consider consulting a lawyer early on to help develop risk-management procedures and training programs, Mr. Koenig said. Elder abuse, in and outside the nursing home, can run the spectrum from physical, sexual, or emotional abuse to confinement, passive neglect, willful deprivation, or even financial exploitation, said Dr. Martin Gorbien, director of geriatric medicine at Rush Medical College, Chicago. The victims tend to be women, with an average age of 77, and functionally impaired. Some risk factors include poor staffing coverage and inadequate training as well as poor impulse control, drug and alcohol dependence, and mental illness among the staff, Dr. Gorbien said.