Abstract
Elder abuse can present in many forms, including physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, and neglect. Many studies estimate that about 10% of all people over the age of 65 experience some form of abuse. These rates are often higher in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, despite government regulations aimed toward addressing this issue. Because patients who experience abuse tend to have higher rates of hospitalization and mortality, it is important for physicians to be able to accurately identify cases of abuse. However, many studies have found that healthcare professionals are often undertrained and ill-equipped in diagnosing elder abuse. In this article, we outline tools that may be able to aid healthcare professionals in their diagnoses, such as survey-based methodology and common physical signs of abuse. In addition, we propose evidence-based solutions, including the use of multidisciplinary teams and increased training on the subject, so that healthcare professionals can more easily identify victims of abuse. Essentially, it is our hope that this article further spotlights elder abuse and its challenges, while serving as a guide to healthcare professionals.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines elder abuse as, “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person" [1]
Increased training during residency can require multi-disciplinary collaboration and agreement within each individual institution, and redeveloping parts of the curriculum will require thorough planning and execution. This includes spending time to seek out experienced and trustworthy educators for training both physicians and care-teams at nursing homes on the ways that they can identify and handle elder abuse. Whether it is providing additional education or offering expansive resources to support specific cases of elder abuse, organizations must be prepared to allot the appropriate funds needed to support these types of initiatives
Abuse continues to remain a rampant issue in society with studies showing approximately 10% of people over the age of 65 experiencing some form of abuse
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines elder abuse as, “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person" [1]. Increased training during residency can require multi-disciplinary collaboration and agreement within each individual institution, and redeveloping parts of the curriculum will require thorough planning and execution This includes spending time to seek out experienced and trustworthy educators for training both physicians and care-teams at nursing homes on the ways that they can identify and handle elder abuse. Whether it is providing additional education or offering expansive resources to support specific cases of elder abuse, organizations must be prepared to allot the appropriate funds needed to support these types of initiatives. These challenges can be overcome and should be prioritized for the sake of mitigating elder abuse
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