Reporting Elder Abuse - Part 1

It is better to err on the safe side than to ignore a possible case of elder abuse. The recent report from UK:

'More than half of nurses would not report the abuse of an elderly person in their care, according to a survey published today. The poll of NHS and private sector nurses, conducted for Help the Aged, found that a lack of training, heavy workloads and fear of confrontation or of upsetting the victim all prevent nurses taking action.

The findings come amid growing evidence that elder abuse is a widespread problem in families, care homes and hospitals. A study by the National Centre for Social Research and Kings College London suggested that 342,000 older people living in private households are subject to some form of mistreatment every year in the UK. '

Obviously, there must be support for nurses. It would be unthinkable to load these care workers with more paper work; on top of an already heavy workload.

The public MUST take action in lobbying politicians to act on such issues. Given proper support and training, care-workers in residential homes are valuable in any attempts at reducing/preventing elder abuse.

Some suggestions on documenting suspected elder abuse:

Documenting Your Complaint, Obtaining Records

There may be times when you have questions about the care of your elderly loved one in a nursing home or other residential care facility that have not been adequately addressed by the staff. We suggest that you ask for and obtain copies of his or her chart and records. If you later seek assistance outside the facility, these items could prove invaluable in backing up any complaint. Reading the chart may also give you a better idea of the level of care that your loved one is receiving.

Keep records of your own. Write down the date, time, place, and people involved in any questionable incident as well as your observations of your loved one’s health. With his or her permission, take photographs of any physical indications of abuse or neglect such as bedsores or bruises. This evidence could be useful should you later feel the need to pursue a legal action.

Details are important. For example, it is not enough to state that it takes too long for a bedridden nursing home resident to contact an aide. A better description might include the length of time that passed before an aide answered the call button, the time and date of the occurrence, the aide’s name, the number of staff on duty, and whether your elderly relative needed to be helped to the toilet. Other observations may include the cleanliness of your loved one’s clothes, room and bed. Remember that your detailed observations may later prove useful in improving your relative’s living conditions. (Source )