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What
role do health and medical professionals play in elder abuse
prevention?
Health
and medical providers are often the first to observe abuse
and neglect. Their observations are often crucial in substantiating
that abuse has occurred. The trust and respect that patients
often have for their health care providers places these
professionals in a key position to help. Specifically, they
can:
- Identify
the somatic signs and symptoms of abuse
-
Evaluate the plausibility of explanations given for common
injuries and conditions
- Provide
expert testimony
- Assess
cognitive status and health factors that affect it
- Treat
injuries or health problems that result from abuse
- Perform
abuse screenings
How
can health and medical professions get involved?
- Participate
on multidisciplinary teams
- Encourage
clinics, hospitals, health maintenance organizations,
or other medical providers to develop or adopt protocols
for screening and responding to abuse
- Encourage
medical associations to get involved
- Learn
more about elder abuse
What
resources are available to help?
Diagnostic
Treatment and Guidelines on Elder Abuse and Neglect.
Sara C. Aravanis; Ronald D. Adelman, MD; Risa Breckman,
CSW; Terry T. Fulmer, PhD, RN; Elma Holder, MPH; Mark Lachs,
MD; James D. O'Brien, MD; and Arthur B. Sanders, MD. American
Medical Association (1992). This publication sensitizes
clinicians to the fact that elder abuse and neglect occur
commonly and that the problem is likely to be encountered
in medical practice; presents what is known about the epidemiology,
clinical manifestations, and history of elder mistreatment;
describes barriers to the proper identification and management
of elder mistreatment; outlines an approach that physicians
can use to facilitate recognition of elder abuse and neglect
in a variety of clinical settings; identifies strategies
for the management and prevention of elder mistreatment;
and discusses relevant ethical and medicolegal issues surrounding
the detection and reporting of elder abuse and neglect.
For more information, contact, Mary Haynes at the American
Medical Association at (312) 464-5563.
Elder
Abuse, Neglect, and Family Violence: A Guide for Health
Care Professionals, produced by the Wisconsin Coalition
Against Domestic Violence, provides general information
about elder abuse, a flow chart to respond to suspected
abuse, and specific tips on what health care providers can
do. It lists common signs and symptoms, answers commonly
asked questions, and identifies interventions. For more
information on how to order this publication, click
here.
Baumhover,
L.A. & Beall, S.C. (Eds.). (1996). Abuse, Neglect, and
Exploitation of Older Persons: Strategies for Assessment
and Intervention. Baltimore, MD: Health Professions
Press.
Lachs,
M.S., et al.(1997). Risk factors for reported elder abuse
and neglect: A nine-year observational cohort study. Gerontologist,
37(4), 469-74.
Lachs
M.S., et al.(1998). The mortality of elder mistreatment.
Journal of the American Medical Association, 280,
428-432.
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